mahouka koukou no rettousei 01 - enrollment

8/20/2019 Mahouka Koukou No Rettousei 01 - Enrollment

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stopped one step from the door, %ith Miyu i t%o steps from the door.

1ith both hands slightly before her, Miyu i bo%ed in greeting, a te'tbooe'ample of formality.

1hen compared to such a honed mo(ement, Tatsuya had no chance ofimitating it.Miyu i s speech and mo(ement patterns %ere completely different fromTatsuya s. This %as most li ely the %or of their deceased mother.

")h... No need to be so formal."

+fter %atching Miyu i e'ecute a perfect greeting that %ould not be out of place in a formal gala, Mayumi seemed to shrin a little.

)(en though there %ere t%o other members in attendance, they seemed to be o(er%helmed by the atmosphere as %ell.

There %as one other person present that %as not a member of the Student-ouncil. The representati(e from the 5ublic Moral -ommittee %ore amas of composure, but anyone could tell that %as a bra(e front, not tomention a (eteran obser(er li e Tatsuya. Truly, my little sister is uitemoti(ated today, Tatsuya thought.

The only thing that pu$$led Tatsuya %as e'actly %hy Miyu i chose such

an intimidation tactic."5lease sit. 1e can tal %hile %e eat."

Maybe it %as because Miyu i s opening sal(o rattled her, but Mayumi s(oice had changed. To put it positi(ely, the (oice %as still harmonious. To

put it negati(ely, the intimate friendliness from before %as gone.

She %as probably referring to the long table in the meeting room.

+t this moment, the signal reached the table interior, rearranging the tableto be appropriate for dining. (!) Cegardless, the siblings approached the e'pensi(e table and chose theirseats. Miyu i slid a chair out and sat do%n, %hile Tatsuya chose a seat just

belo% hers.

For someone %ho al%ays adamantly insisted that her elder brother ta e aseat higher than her o%n, the only reason Miyu i controlled her outburst%as because of the understanding that she %as the focus of today s

meeting."Meat, fish, or (egetarian. 1hich do you prefer


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1hat %as ama$ing %as not just the 3inner Ser(er Module, but thecomple' selections a(ailable as %ell.

Tatsuya pic ed (egetarian, %ith Miyu i mirroring his choice. +fterrecei(ing their orders, the /nd ;ear student 6 probably the Secretary

Na ajou +$usa 6 acti(ated the large cabinet9li e machine tuc ed near the%all.

No% the only thing that remained %as %aiting.

Mayumi %as seated in the main chair. To her side and directly across fromMiyu i sat another rd ;ear female student. *ne seat o(er %as the 5ublicMoral -ommittee member, %ho %as across from Tatsuya. +$usa sat ne'ton the other side of the committee member. +fter regaining her bearings alittle, Mayumi began.

"&ntroductions %ere e'changed at the enrollment ceremony, but just incase, let s go o(er this again. To my side is our +ccountant, &chiharaSu$une, also no%n as Cin9chan."

"...The only one %ho calls me that is the 5resident."

)(ery part of her solemn face ga(e off a stern impression, though %ith hertall frame and %illo%y limbs, Su$une %ould ha(e done full justice to thedescription of "beauty".

&t must be admitted that "Cin9chan" fit her profile better than "Su$une".

"The t%o of you should no% the one on Cin9chan s side, right< This is the-hair of the 5ublic Moral -ommittee 1atanabe Mari."

Mari didn t say anything, but her not ta ing e'ception to anyone %ould benatural.

"+nd follo%ing that is our Secretary, Na ajou +$usa, also no%n as +9

chan.""Student -ouncil 5resident... 5lease don t call me +9chan in front of theunderclassmen. & ha(e my position to thin of too."

=ecause she %as e(en more petite than Mayumi and possessed a morechildish face, %hene(er +$usa directed a teary9eyed face up%ards, sheunintentionally ga(e off the impression of a child about to cry.

+nd that %ould probably be the reason she is called "+9-han", Tatsuyathought. That might be too cruel a truth for the person in uestion.

"The last one %ould be Qice 5resident Han$ou. +nd that ma es up all themembers of the Student -ouncil -ommittee."


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"1hich & am not part of."

"*h yes, Mari is not a member of the Student -ouncil. +h, the preparations are complete."

The co(er to the 3inner Ser(er opened, presenting neat and proper meals%ithout a hint of character on a series of trays.There %ere only fi(e meals.

1e re short one... )(en though Tatsuya thought of this, he did not mentionit aloud because he %as thin ing of a solution. 1hile Tatsuya %as

processing this, Mari uietly too out a bento bo'.

Seeing +$usa stand up, Miyu i also left the table. +s its name implied, the3inner Ser(er %as capable of producing meals, but %ithout a matchingtable set, it %as more efficient to manually bring the trays o(er.+$usa first put her tray on the table, then brought Mayumi and Su$une s

portions as %ell.

Follo%ing that, Miyu i carried o(er the t%o trays for the siblings, and %iththat a most interesting lunch began.

&n the beginning, the con(ersation %as completely open.

)(en then, Tatsuya and Miyu i had (ery fe% con(ersational subjects thatcoincided %ith the committee members.

The con(ersation naturally flo%ed to%ards the topic of food.

&t couldn t be helped that the 3inner Ser(er produced %hat %as more orless fast food, but modern processed foods ha(e nearly the same uality asnormal cuisines. That being said, if it can only match "normal uality"cuisines, then the deficiencies of processed foods cannot be denied.

"3id you ma e that bento yourself, 1atanabe9senpai


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Dust as Miyu i %as starting to panic, a (oice from her side responded forher in the negati(e.

"...& see."

Tatsuya s eyes %ere %atching Mari s hand motions, or her fingers to be precise. &f it %ere made by a machine, or by hand, %hat ind of cuisines%ould, or %ould not, be possible...< &t ga(e the impression that he couldsee through e(erything, causing Mari to feel uite embarrassed.

"?et s start bringing bentos of our o%n tomorro%."

1hen Miyu i spo e up as if nothing had happened, Tatsuya also shiftedhis line of sight.

"Miyu i s bentos are certainly incredible, but as to %here to eat them..."

"*h, yes... First %e need to find some%here to eat them..."

The siblings dialogue 6 not only the contents, but the atmosphere itself 9seemed a little too intimate for a pair of blood9related teenagers.

"...Dust li e a pair of lo(ers."

Su$une adopted a smile that %as not a smile, and dropped an e'plosi(ecomment.

"&s that so< &f %e %eren t siblings, then %e %ould be lo(ers, is that %hatyou thin


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"...That s true. & ta e bac my earlier comment. ;ou are an interesting guy,Tatsuya9 un."

1ith a slight smile 6 and for a beautiful young lady, she often re(eals asmile before a boy 6 Mari changed her earlier e(aluation.

First the Student -ouncil 5resident, no% the -hair of the 5ublic Moral-ommittee. & guess & better get used to people calling me by name.

"&t s about time %e get to the point."

&t might ha(e been a little une'pected, but the time allotted for lunch brea%as limited.

+fter e(eryone finished eating, both Tatsuya and Miyu i nodded uponhearing Mayumi s %ords.

"Dust as our school places hea(y emphasis on self determination, theStudent -ouncil has been granted (ast po%ers %ithin the confines of theschool. Not only our school, but most public high schools also adopt asimilar method."

Tatsuya agreed %ith the principle. Management9centric and 3eterministic9centric %ere li e the ebb and flo% of the tides, fundamentally different butat the same time impacting one another. 1ith the (ictory in the * ina%a

3efense =attle years ago and the subse uent rise in international (oice,the old management9centric style that led to diplomatic disad(antages andinternal unrest %as s%ept out in fa(or of self9determination becoming thetheme of society. &n time, there %as another re(erse0 a portion of pri(atehigh schools adopted a harsh management9centric philosophy. Thus, it isdifficult to unilaterally calculate the progression of e(ents. (!)

"*ur Student -ouncil uses the traditional method of concentrating the po%er and authority in the president. This presidential style can also be

described as e'treme centrali$ation."Hearing these %ords triggered some unease, though this %ould probably

be discourteous to Mayumi.

Tatsuya tightly clasped his fist.

"The president is elected by the student body, the other members areappointed by the president. 1ith a fe% e'ceptions, the president has theright of appointment and remo(al for all officers."

"My position as the -hair of the 5ublic Moral -ommittee is one of thosee'ceptions. The Student -ouncil, the -lub Management Broup, and the


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teachers each select a representati(e to determine this position."

"+nd because of this, on some le(el Mari holds the same authority & do.2nder the rules, the president has a term period, but the others do not. Theterm lasts from *ctober to September 7 of the ne't year. =et%een this

time, the president has the right of appointment and remo(al for allofficers."

+bout time to get to the point.# Tatsuya did not interrupt, but merelynodded to indicate he understood.

"There is an annual tradition to in(ite the st ;ear representati(e to theStudent -ouncil, %ith the intent of training them to become the successor.Hopefully, the st ;ear representati(e %ill be elected to be the ne't Student-ouncil 5resident. +lthough it is not a guarantee, this has been the case forthe past 8 years."

"So the 5resident %as also a st ;ear representati(e< Ruite impressi(e."

"+hO, err, yes."

Mayumi blushed and stammered her reply.

Tatsuya s response %as merely flattery, since he already ne% the ans%er.The odd part %as that Mayumi should already be inured to such flattery

gi(en her position, yet she still reddened in embarrassment. This %as noact, but true embarrassment. This is certainly uite de(ious... She loo sli e a perfectly normal high school student. 6 &t can t be that sheintentionally lets people see that she is easily embarrassed, and that is thetrue acting portion<

"So... Miyu i, & hope you can enter the Student -ouncil."

+t this stage, saying "enter the Student -ouncil" is essentially becoming amember of the Student -ouncil.

"+re you %illing to accept


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"6


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Su$une softly said this in a tone that %as slightly apologetic.

From her (oice, it %as ob(ious that she too %as someone that %as againstthe differential treatment bet%een =looms and 1eeds.

"...& apologi$e. & said all of that %ithout understanding the situation. 5leaseforgi(e me."Miyu i could only fran ly admit her mista e.

Miyu i rose to her feet and bo%ed deeply in apology, but no onereprimanded her.

"&n that case, Miyu i %ill join the current Student -ouncil %ith the title ofsecretary, is that acceptable


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directed to%ards the hand Mari raised in the air.

"The roster for the 5ublic Moral -ommittee still has one empty spot thathas not been filled."

"& just said that %e are still re(ie%ing possible candidates. =esides, school just started a %ee ago, right< There s no need to hurry, Mari."3ispleased %ith Mari s hastiness, Mayumi admonished her. Ho%e(er, Marididn t seem to care.

"& thin , according to the rules of the student council, all members asidefrom the president must be -ourse students, right"

"+h


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"1ait a minute> Shouldn t you ta e into account my thoughts on thematter< +lso, you ha(en t told me %hat the duties of a 5ublic Moral-ommittee member consists of."

Cather than objecting from a logical perspecti(e, it %as more important to

listen to the instincts that %arned of a dangerous de(elopment."1e didn t really go into detail about your sister s duties on the Student-ouncil, correct


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"2m, our school s 5ublic Moral -ommittee is an organi$ation that isresponsible for policing those %ho brea school rules."

6Dust li e her outer appearance, +$usa is %ea to pressure.

"&n terms of public morals, they usually consist of things li e uniformregulations or tardiness, but these are handled by the members appointed

by the Self9Bo(erning -ommittee."

&n this out%ardly conser(ati(e, but actually incredibly uni ue and di(erseStudent -ouncil, she %as probably the only one susceptible to this tactic.

Tatsuya started to become a little concerned about his future job duties.

"...2m, do you ha(e any uestions


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opponent.

No matter from %hat angle of consideration, this tas %as not suited for-ourse / students %ith poor technical s ills.

Ho%e(er, despite Tatsuya s uestioning, Mari remained completelyunperturbed and replied %ith a simple comment."&t s not a problem."

"1hat are you saying


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st ;ear -lass ) %as in the middle of a practice class.

Ha(ing said that, there %asn t a real9time teacher present. This is a simplee'ample of %hen the results of research are not put into practice.

The students of -lass ) %ere follo%ing the instructions displayed upon the%all monitor to operate the built9in educational use -+3. Today s subjectmatter %as the basic of the basics, %hich is the simple operation of thisde(ice.

1hile officially a guided learning session, there %as still an assignment tocomplete. =ecause there %as no super(ising teacher, the completion of theassignment reports became the only criterion for this class. Today sassignment %as to use the -+3 to direct a flatbed car from one end of itstrac to the other, to be repeated three times. 3espite the lac of areminder, it %as a gi(en that manual operation is strictly forbidden.

"Tatsuya, ho% did the Student -ouncil Coom feel


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"1ell, %ell, let s stop %ith all that self9depreciation. So, %hat does the5ublic Moral -ommittee do any%ay 1hy don t you accept, Tatsuya. & ll cheeryou on."

+lthough it %as understandable that )ri a %as jo ing to disguise %hat shesaid earlier, it appeared that she %as still hiding something.

"=ut if you ha(e to inter(ene in conflicts, %on t you be the target ofmagical attac s as %ell &f %e don t %ant that tohappen, isn t it better to not get into fights


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"=ut Mi$u i, e(en if %e don t plan on it, aren t there times %here %e ha(eto put out fires< ?i e yesterday, for e'ample."

"1ell, that..."

"There is a lot of suspicion and injustice in the %orld. 1e can t al%ayse'pect a positi(e result if %e concede all the time."-ase in point, unconsciously Tatsuya felt that it %as about time for him toend this con(ersation before it led to dangerous territory.

")ri a, it s your turn."

"+h, sorry, sorry."

+t Tatsuya s nudging, the slightly flustered )ri a uic ly assumed her position. Dudging from her bac , she %as in a state of complete seriousnessand %as completely unaffected by the earlier con(ersation. &t loo s li eshe is the type that can effortlessly change from one mental state to thene't. 3espite an out%ardly flighty appearance, her natural state is probablyone of seriousness.

)ri a s bac shoo a little, probably because she too a deep breath.

&t happened in a second, although in(isible to the na ed eye, thefluctuations of the psions passed o(er )ri a s bac and could be "seen" in

the form of a light that only Magicians could percei(e. This %as a sign thatthe acti(ation and subse uent in(ocation did not consume all psions, as thelefto(er psions created this psion light. Highly s illed Magicians onlylea(e behind small amounts of psion light, but for a high school st ;earstudent, this %as an acceptable le(el. 1hen there are enough lefto(er

psions, photon interference bet%een psions result in a physicalmanifestation of light. +n absence of psion light %ould denote e'cellentcontrol o(er one s abilities.

The flatbed car in front of the -+3 shifted for%ard, then returned to itsoriginal position. This occurred three times. ";es>" &t %as ob(ious that)ri a %as (ery pleased %ith the result, as could be seen from her clenchedfist and the %ay she turned to loo at Tatsuya. &ndeed, she %as more deftthis time compared to the first time they conducted this e'ercise, and there%as mar ed impro(ement to both acceleration and deceleration.

The purpose of this e'ercise %as to accelerate the flatbed car to the middleof the trac , then decelerate to the other end, accelerate from that end bacto%ards the middle, and decelerate to the starting point... To be repeatedthree times. The acti(ation se uence inputted into the -+3 %as for these J


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acceleration and deceleration in(ocations. =ecause there %ere no setacceleration or deceleration (ectors


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e(en hea(ier footsteps than during lunch brea .

+lthough the atmosphere surrounding the circumstances %as a little pitiful, because Miyu i could understand Tatsuya s feelings, she remained silent.

Than s to the fact that the &3 -ard %as already registered in thecertification system 99 Doining the Student -ouncil is apparentlyconsidered a guarantee. +lthough resistance is possible, Mayumi and Mari%ould probably insist# 99 the siblings entered the room. (!)

&mmediately upon entering, there %as a sharp ga$e tinged %ith hostility.The source came from the opposite side of the machine in the %all, in aseat that %as unoccupied during lunch brea .

")'cuse us>"

&t %as hard to say %hether it %as out of sorro% or pride, but Tatsuya %asalready accustomed to this type of ga$e and atmosphere. He maintained his

po er face, bo%ed in silence, and %ith that the hostile ga$e dissipated li erainclouds before the sun. )(en then, it %asn t as if the hostility haddisappeared completely, more li e the pre(ious hostile ga$e %as no%directed in a more fa(orable light to%ards Miyu i, %ho %as no% standingin the front. The reasoning behind this should need no further e'planation.

The o%ner of this ga$e stood up and %al ed to%ards the siblings. No,more li e %al ed to%ards Miyu i. Tatsuya remembered his face. *n theday of enrollment, he %as the /nd ;ear student standing closely behindMayumi as if a%aiting orders, thus ma ing him the Student -ouncil Qice5resident.

The Qice 5resident stood roughly as tall as Tatsuya. The difference %asthat his shoulders %ere a little narro%er.

He had a handsome (isage that did not %arrant additional %ords to

describe, and an unremar able build. He did not gi(e off a robustimpression, but from the %ay psion light densely clung to the air aroundhis body, he must be a young man %ith considerable Magic 5o%er.

"& am the Qice 5resident, Hattori Byoubu. Shiba Miyu i, %elcome to theStudent -ouncil."

His (oice %as a little abnormal, but considering his age he %as probablysuppressing any personal reaction.

His right hand shoo a little, probably because the %ish to sha e hands%as not completely erased.


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+s to %hy the sha ing stopped, Tatsuya did not care to consider.

Hattori returned to his seat %hile completely ignoring Tatsuya. =ehindMiyu i, a displeased aura %as gathering, but that too disappeared in aninstant. The only one %ho noticed %as probably Tatsuya, than s to his

pro'imity. Than fully she managed to control herself, Tatsuya pattedhimself discreetly on the chest.

The Qice 5resident %as completely una%are of Tatsuya s %orries 6though that shouldn t be surprising, gi(en they just met 6 or the source ofTatsuya s %orries. Dust then, t%o (ery casual greetings fle% in.

"+h, you re here."

"1elcome, Miyu i. ;ou too, Tatsuya9 un. Bood %or ."

From the %ay Mari casually raised a hand in greeting, she %as alreadytreating Tatsuya as one of them. Mayumi %as the complete opposite. Herattitude %as much different from before. Then again, most groups %ould

be upset if an outsider %ere to intrude, although no outburst actuallyhappened. Tatsuya, much li e e(eryone else, had long since arri(ed at theconclusion that trying to understand these t%o %as a hopeless cause.

"&n that case, no need to delay. +9chan, if you please."

"...;es."&t appeared that she already ga(e up. For a moment, +$usa s head drooped%ith a sad e'pression before she put on a %ooden smile and led Miyu ito%ards the terminal on the side.

"1ell, let s be off."

&t hasn t e(en been a %hole day yet and she s already spea ing so casually.Maybe flightiness is part of her character, Tatsuya thought.

"1here to


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"& thought so too."

+s she %as saying this, Mari began to stand up. =ut just as she %as aboutto lea(e the chair, a comment stopped her.

"1atanabe9senpai, please %ait a minute."

The (oice came from Qice 5resident Hattori. 2pon hearing this, Marireplied in a manner that to this day Tatsuya still cannot get used to.

"&s something the matter, Hattori Byoubushoujou Han$ou"

Tatsuya glanced at Mayumi.

Seeing Tatsuya s ga$e, Mayumi tilted her head %ith a "Hm"

"That s your family s official title, isn t it."

"&t has nothing to do %ith the title no%. The school has already acceptedthe name Hattori Byoubu > ...No, that s not %hat & %anted to say."

"That s because you re too formal, isn t it


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"1atanabe9senpai, the topic & %anted to spea %ith you about is preciselyregarding the replacements for the 5ublic Moral -ommittee."

The blood that had originally caused Hattori s face to flush completely redhad no% receded. Dust li e the slo%9motion screening for an animation,

Hattori had calmed himself."1hat


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"That s a taboo term, Qice 5resident Hattori. + taboo term as banned by the5ublic Moral -ommittee. ;ou ha(e a lot of ner(e using that in front of me,the -hair of the 5ublic Moral -ommittee."

Facing Mari s reprimand, %arning, or maybe a little of both, Hattori

sho%ed no sign of %ea ness.";ou can ban that term all you %ant. 3o you plan on punishing a third ofthe entire student body< The difference bet%een =looms and 1eeds issomething that is %ritten into the school system and ac no%ledged by theschool itself. The source of the difference bet%een =looms and 1eeds isthe difference in ability. 5ublic Moral -ommittee members are responsiblefor the tas of subjugating students that brea school rules. + 1eed %ithinferior abilities is incapable of accomplishing that tas ."

To Hattori s proud assertion, Mari only smiled coldly.

"&t is true that the 5ublic Moral -ommittee is ability9based, but abilitycomes in many forms. &f %e need to use strength for suppression, that s%hat & m here for. )(en if & m up against 7 or e(en /7 opponents, & canhandle them alone. &n this school, the only people that can go on against me are 5resident Saegusa and -lub Management Broup ?eaderDuumonji. +ccording to you, the people %ith lo% combat capability are

unnecessary. So, do you plan to challenge me, Qice 5resident Hattori


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impossible to belie(e.

Ceading the acti(ation se uence. This by all rights should be impossible.

For Hattori, that %as "common sense".

"&n other %ords, e(en before the magic has been in(o ed, he alreadyno%s %hat magic his opponent is using."

Ho%e(er, Mari s ans%er did not change. This %as the truth, %as definitely possible, and Mari had no doubts %hatsoe(er as she said it.

"+ccording to our school rules, depending on the type of magic used, thele(el of punishment also changes. 2nfortunately, if %e %ere to disrupt theacti(ation se uence before in(ocation li e Mayumi did, there is no %ay totell %hat magic %as originally used. &f %e %aited until the acti(ationse uence finished, then that %ould defeat the entire purpose. Thus it issafer to disrupt magic during the acti(ation se uence. 1ithout any definiteaccusation of %rong doing, the only thing %e can charge them %ith isattempted disruption and the subse uent lighter punishment. =ut %ithTatsuya, %e can properly catch those that ha(e been using strongermagics."

"...=ut, if he ran across an actual crime scene, and %as unable to stop themagic in(ocation..."

Hattori could not o(ercome his shoc , but still managed to rebut.

"&n that case, it %ould be beyond a st ;ear -ourse student any%ays.+nd probably beyond /nd ;ear students as %ell. Ho% many people do you

no% that are able to in(o e second and still manage to deny theiropponent from in(o ing first< =esides that, there is still one more reason &%ant him to join the 5ublic Moral -ommittee."

Mari tabled the first reason and started another.

No matter %hat, Hattori couldn t come up %ith a counter argument on thespot.

"To this day there is no 5ublic Moral -ommittee member that comes from-ourse / students. &n other %ords, -ourse / students that improperly usemagic against school rules are apprehended by -ourse students. +s yousaid, there is a %ide di(ide bet%een -ourse and -ourse / students.-ourse students can apprehend -ourse / students, but the re(erse is not

true. This configuration has only ser(ed to %iden that di(ide. & do not li eit that the committee members under my command are only ser(ing to%iden this differential impression."


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"+h... Ruite impressi(e, Mari. ;ou ha(e e(en ta en this into account< &thought you only cared about Tatsuya9 un."

"5lease be uiet, 5resident."

Mayumi %anted to change the surrounding atmosphere, but %as stopped by Su$une.+ reproachful loo .

+ sha ing head.

The former %as from Mayumi, the latter from Su$une.

+nd so, t%o conflicting emotions %ere mi'ed together into oneinseparable %hole, and came bursting out %ith resentment.

"5resident... as the Qice95resident, & object to appointing Shiba Tatsuya asa 5ublic Morals -ommittee member.

1hile & accept that -hair 1atanabe has got a point in her assertion, theoriginal mission of a 5ublic Morals -ommittee member is to unco(er andsubjugate the school rule brea ers.

+ -ourse / student %ho is lac ing in magic ability can t perform the dutiesof a 5ublic Morals -ommittee member. Such a misplaced appointment%ill surely damage your reputation as the 5resident.

5lease reconsider."

"5lease %ait>"

Tatsuya turned around frantically.

Dust as he had feared, Miyu i could no longer bear %ith it.

+bsorbed in Mari s speech, he had missed the right timing to restrain her.

1hile he frantically attempted to preempti(ely stop her, Miyu i, %ho hadstarted spea ing, %as faster."This may sound audacious, Qice95resident. My brother s practical magicresults may indeed be unfa(orable, but that %as merely because the

practical test %as not effecti(e in gauging my brother s strength.

&n a real battle, my brother %ould not lose to anyone."

*n hearing those %ords that %ere filled %ith certainty, Mari s eyes%idened a little. Mayumi s faint smile disappeared as %ell, and her seriouseyes turned to%ards Miyu i and Tatsuya.Ho%e(er, the seriousness in the ga$e Hattori returned on Miyu i became


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thinner.

"Shiba9san."

The one Hattori %as addressing %as, needless to say, Miyu i.

"Cegardless of %hat happens, a Magician must ma e judgments calmlyand logically. &ndi(idual bias may be una(oidable for a normal person, butfor one %ho is aiming to become a Magician, please bear in mind that youshould not let your indi(idual bias cloud your judgment."

There %as no indness felt in the admonishment. He %as probably justacting as an e'cellent "2pperclassman", %ho despite his self9righteousness, %as loo ing after his junior of the same -ourse . 6=ut,under these circumstances, Tatsuya seemed to no% that such a manner of

spea ing %ould cause an opposite effect, and the moment %hen Miyu i%ould rebu e Hattori.

Sure enough, Miyu i %as getting increasingly heated up.

"5ardon me for saying so, but my judgment is not clouded> &f *nii9samacould use more of his po%er6"

"Miyu i."

Tatsuya held his hand out in front of Miyu i, %ho had completely lost her

cool.1ith a startled face, Miyu i shut her mouth %ith a mi' of embarrassmentand regret, and hung her head in shame.

Ha(ing stopped Miyu i s %ords %ith a %a(e of his hand, Tatsuya %al edup to Hattori.

Miyu i had indeed said too much. She had almost said the things thatshouldn t be said. Ho%e(er, it %as Hattori %ho had made Miyu i say that

much. Tatsuya had no intention of putting all the blame on Miyu i alone."Qice95resident Hattori, %hy don t %e ha(e a moc battle"


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The one %ho ga(e a small shrie %as +$usa.

The other three, as e'pected of upperclassmen, remained composed.

+nd then, a small %ry smile surfaced on the troubled face of the one %ho%as getting (erbally abused.

"1hat s so funny"

"+ Magician should remain calm, right"

Ha(ing his o%n %ords thro%n bac at him in ridicule, Hattori held his breath.

Tatsuya didn t stop there. He did not feel li e stopping.

"+s it is, & thin that %e %on t no% each other s anti9personnel battle s ill%ithout fighting.

&t s not li e & %ant to become a 5ublic Morals -ommittee member but... ifit s for pro(ing that my little sister s judgment is not clouded, then it cannot

be helped."

He seemed to be mumbling to himself.

To Hattori, it sounded li e a challenge.

"...Fine. & ll gi(e you a good lesson on %hat it is to no% your place."

&t %as not just his mouth that had betrayed his agitation. His controlledtone, on the contrary, indicated the depth of his anger.

1ithout a moment s delay, Mayumi interjected.

"+s the Student -ouncil 5resident, & authori$e the formal moc battlematch bet%een /nd ;ear -lass =, Hattori Byoubu and st ;ear -lass ),Shiba Tatsuya."

"*n the basis of the Student -ouncil 5resident s declaration, as the -hairof 5ublic Morals -ommittee, & recogni$e that the match bet%een the t%oof you as a legitimate e'tracurricular acti(ity in abidance of the schoolrules."

"The time of the match %ill be thirty minutes from no%, at the third practice room. The match %ill be a pri(ate one, and & authori$e the use of-+3s by both sides."

&t %as a measure to pre(ent the match from becoming a bra%ling incident 6 an act of (iolence forbidden by the school rules.


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*n the declaration from Mayumi and Mari %ith solemn e'pressions andnonchalant (oices, +$usa started typing furiously into the terminal.

@ @ @

"&t s just the third day of school, and my cat is going to be out of the bag,huh..."

+fter retrie(ing his -+3 case in e'change for the appro(al letter stamped%ith the student council president s stamp e(en no%, this sort of thing %asstill done on paper#, Tatsuya grumbled just before the door to the third

practice room, and from behind him, came a (oice that %as on the (erge oftears."& m really sorry..."

"&t s nothing you need to apologi$e for."

"=ut *nii9sama, it s because of my fault that & m causing trouble to youagain..."

Turning around, and ta ing half a step, Tatsuya held his hand abo(e hislittle sister s head.

Miyu i s body trembled as she closed her eyes. =ut, after feeling the gentle pat on her head, she timidly loo ed up.

)(en no%, her tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"& said this too during the school entrance ceremony, right<

& al%ays feel that & m being sa(ed by you %hene(er you get angry in my place, %hen & am unable to get angry myself.

...3on t apologi$e. No% is the time to say something more appropriate."";es... please do your best."

1iping off a tear %ith a finger, Miyu i smiled, and in similar fashion,Tatsuya smiled, nodded, and opened the door to the practice room.

"This is surprising."

2pon opening the door, this %as the line said to him.

"1hat is


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"& %as referring to your une'pected enthusiasm at fighting. & thought you%ere one %ho %asn t bothered by the remar s of others."

)(en %hile she %as tal ing about her surprise, her eyes %ere spar ling%ith anticipation. + deep sigh %elled up in his throat, but Tatsuya, %ith his

steel9li e self9restraint 6 describing it in this manner may be a littlee'aggerating but 6 s%allo%ed it any%ay.

"& thought it %as the job of a 5ublic Morals -ommittee member to stop personal fights."

&nstead of a sigh, he couldn t help but let loose a some%hat sarcasticremar .

1hile there %as not a single sign of Mari rebutting that.

"This is not a personal fight. &t s a formal match.Mayumi said it too, didn t she<

The rule of strength is not something applied bet%een the -ourse and-ourse / students. Cather, it is something applied bet%een -ourse students themsel(es.

This is the (ery first time %e are using such a method to settle things bet%een a -ourse and -ourse / student, you see."

I see !n the contrary, it is encouraged to settle disagreements by force ifthey can't be settled by words alone (!)

"3idn t the number of formal matches increase e(er since you became the-hair of the 5ublic Morals -ommittee, senpai


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Tatsuya became conscious of his o%n se'ual e'citement.

&n the instant he %as conscious of it, to the object called himself , it became a phenomenon born from inside of him, %hich %as then se(eredfrom himself. His e'citement %as con(erted to mere information inside of

him."Hattori is s illed enough to be among the top fi(e in our school. &f & ha(eto say, he s more inclined to%ards group battles, and indi(idual fights arenot his specialty, but still, there is hardly anyone %ho can %in against himin one9on9one."

&n an alluring high pitch (oice, Mari %hispered those %ords %hich %erede(oid of any se'ual charm.

"& m not thin ing of fighting him head on."=ut, %ithout the slightest sign of %a(ering, Tatsuya replied in a (oice%hich could be said to be more a mechanical than a cold one.

";ou are pretty calm... & (e lost a little confidence."

1hile saying that, Mari %as clearly amused.

"Haah."

1ithout saying anything else, Tatsuya ga(e a (ague nod.

"+t a time li e this, if your face turns red, %hich %ill ma e you cuter, thenumber of people %ho %ill lend you their strength %ill increase, & thin ."

Brinning as she stepped bac , Mari then %al ed to the starting line in thecenter.

"1hat a troublesome fella..."

She s probably the type %ho %ould see chaos in order and bring about

order in chaos, thought Tatsuya.To a person li(ing in tran uility, she %as a troublema er.

1hile letting out his first sigh at his human relationships, %hich %erefilled %ith remar able ups and do%ns e(er since entering this school, heopened his -+3 case.

The blac attach case contained a pair of -+3s in the shape of handguns.

He too out one of them, pulled out a cartridge shape from the place %here

a maga$ine %ould be lodged into a real gun, and e'changed it forsomething else.


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)'cept for Miyu i, e(eryone %atched him intently %ith deep interest.

"Sorry for the %ait."

"3o you al%ays carry additional storage cartridges %ith you


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=oth Tatsuya and Hattori nodded at this, %al ed to%ards the starting linesthat %ere fi(e meters apart, and stood facing one another.

Hattori s e'pression %as more solemn than moc ing or challenging, but hisface still betrayed an easy9going demeanor.

The initial position %as out of physical reaching distance. )(en if theopponent possessed the charging po%er of a professional soccer player,magic %as still faster at this distance. =ecause this %as a magic9basedcontest, the side %ith the superior magical attac %ould naturally ha(e thead(antage.

&n this situation, the one %ho in(o ed their magic first %ould usually %in.)(en if the initial attac did not completely defeat the opponent, somedegree of damage %as una(oidable. There %ere (ery fe% people that hadthe mental discipline to absorb magical damage and still calmly %or theirmagic. Since sustaining magical damage also disrupted the magic creation

process, as long as one continued to attac , (ictory %as assured.

+lso, under the condition that both sides acti(ated their -+3s at the sametime, Hattori firmly belie(ed that he, a -ourse student, had no chance oflosing against an upstart -ourse / student. -+3 %as a tool that minimi$edcasting time. )(en if someone tried to secretly use a non9-+3 based

magical ability before the starting signal, it %ould still be no match againstthe -+3 s speed. *n top of that, ho% uic ly one could in(o e theirmagic using a -+3 made up the bul of an indi(idual s magic technicalscore. This %as the defining difference bet%een -ourse and -ourse /students.

Tatsuya held a handgun9shaped Speciali$ed -+3.

Hattori %ore a traditional bracelet9shaped Benerali$ed -+3.

Speciali$ed -+3s had the ad(antage in speed, %hile Benerali$ed -+3shad the ad(antage in (ersatility.

Nonetheless, e(en if Speciali$ed -+3s had a speed ad(antage o(erBenerali$ed -+3s, that alone could not o(ercome the difference bet%een-ourse and -ourse / students. +nd the opponent %as a ne% student.Hattori s conclusion %as that there %as absolutely no %ay that he couldlose, a consideration that %as neither conceited nor o(erconfident.

Tatsuya pointed the -+3 he held in his right hand to%ards the floor,

+nd %aited for Mari s signal.

The simulation room returned to complete silence.


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Dust as that silence %as about to fill e(ery corner of the room...

"...=egin>"

The "formal match" bet%een Tatsuya and Hattori officially began.

Hattori slid his right hand o(er the -+3.

1hile the action only consisted of tapping three ey points, not a singlespare mo(ement %as %asted.

*riginally, his speciali$ation %as in medium9ranged %ide area attacmagic.

&f anything, %hen it came to one9on9one close uarter matches, they %erenot his forte.

=ut e(en %hen %e say that "they %ere not his forte", since entering highschool the year before, Hattori still stood undefeated in battle.

1hile he might ha(e yielded before the =ig Three %hich consisted ofMari, a specialist in both indi(idual and group anti9personnel combat,Mayumi, %ho could freely employ astounding, high9speed, high precisionshooting magic, and Duumonji, a club captain %ho had gained a peculiartitle no%n as "&ron 1all", Hattori had the confidence that he could holdhis o%n against other students or e(en groups of teachers.

That pride did not come from o(erconfidence.

The simplistic +cti(ation Se uence that hea(ily relied on speed %asalready complete, and in a flash, Hattori had already entered the Magic&n(ocation stage.

+t this moment, he almost let out a cry of surprise.

His opponent, that arrogant st ;ear student, %as someho% close enoughto fill his entire (ision.

He hurriedly changed his target, and prepared to unleash his magic.

=asic Single System Mo(ement9Type Magic.

+ny opponent caught by this magic %ould be flung bac o(er a do$enmeters and noc ed unconscious by the impact, ending the battle.

=ut, the magic ended %ithout in(o ing.

There should ha(e been no problems %ith the +cti(ation Se uence.

His opponent had (anished.1hile the target of Magic Se uences did not ha(e to be (ery specific, if


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the target that %as originally in the line of sight suddenly disappeared,spell failure %as ine(itable.

The 5sion &nformation +ide that %as supposed to eep trac of hisopponent s status and location (anished %ithout any effect, just as a

po%erful "%a(e motion" approached Hattori from the flan , %ho %as too busy loo ing left and right for his opponent. (!)

Three consecuti(e %a(e motions.

)ach %a(e motion o(erlapped %ith one another inside Hattori s body,causing massi(e s%aying to brea out that ultimately resulted in Hattorilosing consciousness.

Qictory %as decided in an instant.

The entire match lasted less than 8 seconds, and could be appropriatelydescribed as an instant %in.

&n front of Tatsuya s -+3, Hattori eeled o(er.

"...1inner, Shiba Tatsuya."

Mari cautiously announced the name of the %inner.

There %as not a trace of joy on the %inner s face.

That e'pression %as appropriate for someone %ho had merely arri(ed atthe e'pected result.

He ga(e a short bo%, then %al ed to%ards the table that held the -+3cases.

&t %asn t just his posture0 he %as %holly uninterested in his (ictory.

"1ait."

Mari called out from behind him.

"That mo(ement right there... 3id you preempti(ely input a Speed+bility


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"The fact that that is impossible...& thin Senpai is more a%are of that thananyone."

&t %as just as Tatsuya said. +s the judge, Mari %as closely obser(ing%hether -+3s %ere being acti(ated. Not just the ob(ious -+3s, but e(en

for hidden -+3s, the flo% of psions %ould ha(e been ob(ious to her."=ut, that


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%a(es. This is a mandatory s ill for magic, but the side effect is that %henMagicians are e'posed to une'pected 5sion %a(e motions, they fre uentlymisinterpret that their bodies are s%aying. This misunderstanding directlyaffects the physical body. The reasoning behind this is (ery similar to

hypnotic suggestion, %here people under hypnosis are induced intothin ing they suffered burn injuries , then find out that the physicalsymptoms reflect their thin ing. 3uring the match, & used this illusion of

s%aying motions , causing him to feel an e'treme case of seasic ness."

"& can t belie(e it... Magicians are usually e'posed to 5sion %a(e motions,and thus become accustomed to these surges. For )'ternal SystemicMagic, both +cti(ation Se uences and Magic Se uences are types of 5sion%a(e motions. +nd yet despite this, to be able to disable a Magician

through 5sion surge alone, and to cause such a strong effect, e'actlyho%..."

The one %ho ans%ered Mayumi s uestion %as Su$une.

"-ompound %a(es."

"Cin9chan


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"Tatsuya9 un, is that -+3 the Sil(er Horn The miraculous -+3 engineer associated %ith Four ?ea(esTechnology, %hose name, appearance, and data all remain a mystery>

The genius programmer %ho %as the first in the %orld to ma e the ?oop-ast System a reality.

+h, ?oop -ast System is the +cti(ation Se uence that s ips the step ofrestarting each +cti(ation Se uence. &f the Magic Se uence is the same,then the -+3 no longer has to restart the +cti(ation Se uence each time.This is done by adding a copying po%er to the Magic -alculation +rea se'ecution mode, adding a copy of the +cti(ation Se uence s last parts tothe +cti(ation Se uence itself, so Magicians can endlessly in(o e magics%ithin their ability. +lthough the theory e'isted in the past, but to calculatethe &n(ocation Se uence and copy the +cti(ation Se uence separately atthe same time, no one could do it until no%..."

"Stop> & no% %hat ?oop -ast is.""&n that case...

&n that case, Sil(er Horn is the name of the Fully -ustomi$able Speciali$ed-+3 de(eloped by Taurus Sil(er>

Naturally, it has the best adjustments for the ?oop -ast System, is able toin(o e magic stably using the least amount of Magic 5o%er, is criticallyacclaimed, and is especially popular among the la% enforcement

population.+lthough it s sold on the mar et, but that re uires a special procedure andfee> +nd judging from the %ay the barrel is longer than the traditionalmodel, yours must be a limited edition model 1here did you get that


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"=ut, Cin9chan. &sn t that strange< No matter ho% capable the ?oop -ast-+3 is, ?oop -ast still can t..."

+fter the tal ing stopped, Su$une nodded as she tilted her head li eMayumi.

"That is strange.?oop -ast is designed for consecuti(ely casting one type of magic. )(en ifit is the same (ibration magic, if the %a(elength and number of (ibrationsset by the Magician changes, these %ould cause differences to occur %ithinthe +cti(ation Se uence. &f the ?oop -ast automatically copies the original+cti(ation Se uence, then it %ould be impossible to account for thedifferences in order to achie(e -ompounding 1a(es .

&f you set the number of (ibrations as another (ariable, then it may be possible to use the same +cti(ation Se uence to achie(e -ompounding1a(es %hile still accounting for all the differences. =ut if target, strength,time of duration are all (ariables, and you include number of (ibrations asanother (ariable... 3on t tell me you managed to calculate all of that"

Mayumi bent at the %aist and loo ed o(er Hattori. &n response, Hattoriuic ly dodged the incoming face and hurriedly got to his feet.

"& see, so you %ere all %orried about this from the beginning."Hattori could not ha(e said this if he had not o(erheard their earlier


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said "&t can t be helped".

Follo%ing that, Mari became a%are of Tatsuya s ga$e, and shrugged as ifshe didn t %ant the other four to notice.

@ @ @

+fter placing the -+3 bac into the %or room, Tatsuya returned to theStudent -ouncil Coom, %here Mari immediately grabbed his %rist.

Miyu i, %ho %as being tutored by +$usa near the terminal on the %all,raised an eyebro% at this, %hile Tatsuya could only signal through his eyesthat this couldn t be helped... +lthough, Tatsuya harbored doubts as to%hether she could understand this.

He forcibly suppressed his subconscious urge to thro% the other personaside. Though come to spea of it, to be able to capture her target in such anarro% %indo%, Mari s physical abilities must be uite impressi(e as %ell.

"1hile a lot of une'pected e(ents occurred, let s go %ith the original planand head to the 5ublic Moral -ommittee HR>"

+s if not caring about Tatsuya s largely confused# mental concerns, Maridragged him a%ay by the arm.

Miyu i finally noticed Tatsuya s confused e'pression, and redirected herga$e bac to the terminal. +lbeit, %ith great difficulty.

Hattori ne(er raised his head since Tatsuya entered the Student -ouncilCoom.

&t loo ed li e he %as trying to ignore e(erything in that direction, %hich%as probably his greatest concession from an emotional standpoint. Forthis, Tatsuya %as e'tremely than ful.Mayumi hastily batted her hand. )'actly %hat that %as for, or %hatmeaning it %as trying to con(ey...< +mong the people that Tatsuya hadalready met, she %as probably the hardest to understand.

That should probably be tabled for a later date.

+fter much difficulty largely persuasion#, Tatsuya %as able to free his%rist, and obediently follo%ed Mari.

&n the room s farthest corner, in a spot %here there %ould normally be afire escape, there %as instead a staircase leading to the 5ublic Moral


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-ommittee HR.

Are we ignoring fire safety standards? (!)

Tatsuya ruminated on this, but e(en if the students %ere learning on the job, or e(en brand ne%, as long as there %ere e'cellent Magicians on hand,the lac of firefighting e uipment shouldn t ha(e been a problem. Simplyusing (ibration or speed magics %as enough to put out a fire, then the use acombination of Bather9Mo(e Smo e Magic %ould be enough to e'pel it.&n truth, large scale fires in tall s yscrapers %ere yet another area thatMagicians could display their s ills.

Bi(en that the lac of an ele(ator %as %ithin the boundaries of fire safety,the rest can be forgi(en, Tatsuya thought.

&n regards to Tatsuya, %ho %as right on her heels through the door intohead uarters, Mari pointed to%ards the chairs ne't to the table, and said,

"&t s a little bit of a mess. ;ou can rest there for a second."

So this only ualified as a little. That being said, it %as not li e there %asno place to put one s foot do%n, or that all the chairs %ere co(ered %ithluggage. &t %as probably because they just came from the neat and tidyStudent -ouncil Coom, so this image %as especially jarring, but that %asas much as could be e'pected.

=oo s, portable terminals, and e(en -+3s, all sorts of items co(ered thetable. Tatsuya slightly cleared out a space on one of the half9pulled outchairs beside the table.

"The 5ublic Moral -ommittee Coom is li e a bachelor s home. )(enthough & (e told them to pic up after themsel(es time and time again,there s still no one %ho listens..."

"&t can t be helped %hen no one is around."

Not no%ing if Tatsuya s comment %as out of moc ery or comfort, Mari%rin led her bro% upon hearing this.

"...*ur primary objecti(e is patrolling school grounds. The state of affairs%ithin HR couldn t be a(oided."

5resently, there %ere only t%o people in the room. The 5ublic Moral-ommittee consisted of nine people, but the space %ithin the room couldaccommodate a group of people many times greater than the current roster.1ithin this space, the idle atmosphere and dispersed items only ser(ed toincrease the sense of uncleanliness.


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1hat dre% Tatsuya s attention, aside from the ob(ious messiness of theroom, %ere the cluttered objects on the table.

")(en so, -hief, %ould it be o ay if & tidied up a bit


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"...So, it s o ay if & clean up this area


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on the shel(es. &n this day and age, both paper9based boo s and boo shel(es are considered rarities.

Not to mention that they %ere magical te'ts.

"&n terms of %hy %e scouted you 6 on this matter, %e %ent o(er thisearlier. &t is to properly adjudicate cases of improper magic usage, and toimpro(e the perception of -ourse / students."

"& remember, but & thin that this tactic may cause considerable bac lash...May & ta e a loo at this boo


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+fter %rapping the grounded protector around his slee(eless %rist, hereached his hand to%ards the pile of -+3s.

"Than goodness you carry e(en this type of e uipment... 1as that personMorisa i


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Mari s face once more re(ealed her delighted smir .

Her de(ilish e'pression seemed to ha(e increased her beauty t%o9fold.

"Senpai is the type of person %ho hates trouble too..."

";ou re also the type %ho li es to cut corners."

+las, Tatsuya could only admit that she %on that round.

@ @ @

"...This is the 5ublic Moral -ommittee HR, right


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Tatsuya thought he could see s%eat beads on Mari s temple.

-old s%eat.

")h... So you address Mari as -hief, %hich means %e ha(e successfullyrecruited you."

"& thought & ne(er had the right to refuse in the first place..."

Tatsuya didn t e(en loo at Mayumi s teasing e'pression, and deadpannedhis response.

Mayumi loo ed li e she disappro(ed of Tatsuya s attitude. She placed onehand on her hips, raised the other forefinger, directing her most displeasedga$e to%ards him as she %as about to unleash her most e'aggeratedattitude to (oice her objection.

"Tatsuya9 un, isn t your response to your older sister simply too rude


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"&s this ho% it is... Ho ho ho ho ho."

Tiny de(il %ould be a perfectly appropriate description for that smilingface.

"Tatsuya9 un thin s that %e (e met before, right< +nd the day of theenrollment ceremony must be our fateful reunion>""No, %ait, 5resident"

&f she %as really re(eling in those %ords, she %ould be a dangerous person. =ut if she %as acting this entire se uence out %hile purposefullyallo%ing e(eryone else to no% she %as acting, there %as somethingterribly %rong %ith that ind of personality.

"...2nfortunately, that %as undoubtedly our first meeting."

"...& thought so too."

"& say, & say, unless you really got those fateful meeting (ibes


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There %as no %ay to tell if it %as good luc or bad, but the sense of guiltdidn t linger for too long.

That %as probably due to confusion, gi(en the circumstances.

"...Tch."

+s her shoulders slumped slightly, Mayumi s lips dropped a sound thatcould only mean a sense of defeat.

&t %as Tatsuya s turn to %iden his eyes.

&t %as only a small sound to be sure, and not graceful in any %ay, butcould still be identified. (!)

"2m, 5resident


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ac no%ledged you, Tatsuya9 un.

She probably considers the t%o of you to be uite ali e in some areas.

&n other %ords, she s playing coy. She only ta es off her mas in front ofthe people she ac no%ledges."

+t Mari s oddly solemn e'pression, Tatsuya felt a sense of unease.

"3on t belie(e %hat Mari says, Tatsuya9 un.

=ut, & guess & do ac no%ledge you<

&t feels li e & can t deal %ith you the same %ay & treat the others.

Maybe the one touched by fate is me."

Hearing this, and seeing Mayumi s smiling face that no sane man couldhate, Tatsuya s internal pace had been completely disrupted.?oo s li e challenging these t%o directly from the front %ould be ane'ercise in futility, Tatsuya thought.

@ @ @

The reason Mayumi came to (isit %as actually to inform them that theStudent -ouncil Coom %as closing early. She %as only supposed to checon Tatsuya in passing, but that had uic ly become her primary objecti(e

before long. &t probably %asn t a good idea to d%ell too long on thatsubject.

Since the end of the enrollment ceremony, many different action items hadalso come to a head. "Then, & m going ahead." Mayumi %a(ed and %al edto%ards the Student -ouncil Coom.

Tomorro% mar ed the first day for the competition for ne% club members,so the acti(ity le(el of the 5ublic Moral -ommittee %as going to increaseas %ell. Mayumi s con(ersation %ith Mari and Tatsuya ended at this point.

-urrent information systems, much li e their predecessors, re uired (erylittle time to operate.

Se(eral of them needed to be shut do%n, but e(en if this step %aso(erloo ed, they %ould still automatically enter sleep mode.

The only thing that needed to be done at this point %as set safety protocols, but at this opportune moment 6 or maybe unfortunate moment


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9 t%o male students entered the 5ublic Morale -ommittee head uarters.

"Hi."

"Bood morning>"

+ (ibrant greeting spread throughout the room.

"*i, Nee9san, can %e come in No arrests>"

1hen compared to the other guy, this one had a bland appearance and hisspeech pattern %as uite normal, but filled %ith an imposing manner. Theunmo(ing stance he too %hile gi(ing his report reminded people of a

soldier, or maybe a police officer, or someone part of a system that hadlargely remained unchanged o(er the years. (!)

"...;ou re telling me that Nee9san cleaned this room"

S5+> There %as a sound that %as pleasing to the ear, just as the boycrouched do%n and co(ered his head.

Mari held a noteboo rolled into a rod.

1hen did she pull that out


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Tatsuya had not yet sorted through his confusion, but Mari had alreadyroared her displeasure at the boy co(ering his head.

"5lease don t hit me on the head, Nee... No, -hief. Spea ing of %hich,%ho s this< The roo ie +t this time, &thin -ourse / student %ould be the proper description." (!)

The other boy, despite saying this on the outside, could not disguise hiscoldly analytical body language. "The t%o of you should be careful. That

ind of thin ing may lead to a %orld of hurt in battle< (!)& ll only say itonce. He just thrashed Hattori."

Ho%e(er, just as Mari said this %ith a teasing smile on her face, the t%o boys e'pressions became gra(e.

"...This guy, too out Hattori The undefeated Hattori, losing to a ne%comer."

"No need to shout, Sa%a i. 3idn t & just say that


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"Surprised


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His grip strength had increased to the point %here you could hear themo(ement, Tatsuya %as surprised to find.

This school had e'cellent students, and not just solely in the magicdepartment.

"3on t call me by my name."That appeared to be the %arning.

There %as no need for such a roundabout %arning, as Tatsuya %as not inthe habit of referring to upperclassmen by name, but since Sa%a i tootime to specifically mention this, he should respond as %ell.

"& ll remember that."

+t the same time these %ords %ere spo en, his right hand %as released.

2pon seeing Tatsuya s physical s ills, !outarou s surprise surpassedSa%a i s o%n.

"Ho, that s uite impressi(e. Sa%a i s grip strength is at least in the tripledigits."

"...& thin that hardly ualifies as normal physical abilities, e(en forMagicians."

Tatsuya pretended not to no%, gi(ing only a light response.He %as probably going to get along uite %ell %ith these t%o 99 Tatsuyathought.


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Chapter 4

1hen compared to traditional au'iliary e uipment such as magic sta(es,tomes, or talismans, -+3s possessed superior in(ocation speed,refinement, comple'ity, and %ere capable of e'ecuting large scale magics.They %ere the definiti(e au'iliary e uipment in the modern age.

That being said, they %eren t uni(ersally superior in all categories %hencompared to traditional au'iliary e uipment.

3ue to the precise nature of -+3s, %hen compared to traditional au'iliarye uipment, maintenance re uired additional effort.

This %as especially the case %hen dealing %ith the compatibility bet%eenthe user s 5sion %a(e motions and the Cecei(e9Celease System.

-+3 utili$ed the 5sions released by Magicians as ra% materials it may bemore appropriate to describe it as the in for paintings#, directed to%ardsthe +cti(ation Se uence in the 5sion &nformation +ide, %here Magiciansthen use their o%n physical bodies as a conductor for reading the+cti(ation Se uence before plugging the result into the magic design.3epending on the uality of -+3 maintenance, this could influence thespeed of magic in(ocation any%here bet%een 879 77P.

&n other %ords, 5sions are particles of thought or consciousness madeconcrete. Their manifestation can be e'tremely di(erse. For e(ery hundred

people there %ould be a hundred different types, and a thousand users%ould create a thousand types. )(ery indi(idual has a uni ue 5sion %a(emotion, so if the -+3 %asn t finely tuned to their specific use, the user%ould encounter difficulty managing the e'change of 5sions.

=esides that, there are many essential points that lead to a custom fit -+3.These %ould fall under the pur(ie% of the Magic +rtificers charged %ith-+3 maintenance, and the reason %hy e'ceptionally s illed Magic+rtificers %ere seen as co(eted treasures.

&n addition, the fluctuations of 5sion %a(e motions reflect the gro%th ofthe physical body, such as changes as a result of age, and are subse uentlyaffected. &n fact, these fluctuations could change daily.

Thus, the ideal situation %ould call for daily maintenance based on theuser s physical status, but -+3 maintenance re uires e uipment that is


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e'tremely e'pensi(e.

Benerally, only the military, police, central go(ernment, first class researchinstitutes, famous schools, and %ell9financed major corporations possessthe po%er and funding for -+3 maintenance e uipment and related

trained personnel, an impossible scenario for small to mid9si$ed companiesor personal use. Magicians in the latter categories resort to using MagicMachine -ustomi$ation Stores once a month, or Mechanical Ser(iceStores once or t%ice for scheduled chec 9ups.

First High %as also considered to be one of the country s premiere schools,and thus naturally possessed special facilities for student use. &t %as acommon sight to see students or faculty undergoing -+3 maintenance oncampus.

Ho%e(er, due to special circumstances, Tatsuya s house also containedstate of the art -+3 maintenance e uipment.

@ @ @

+fter dinner, in the basement that had been con(erted into a -+3

maintenance room, Tatsuya turned around upon hearing the only otheroccupant in the house spea .

"&t s o ay, go ahead and come in. &t s about time & too a brea ."

That statement %asn t a lie, probably because Miyu i had %aited for a period of time to elapse before attempting to spea %ith him.

")'cuse me. *nii9sama, & %as hoping you could adjust my -+3..."

She %as holding a cellphone9shaped -+3.

*n her approach, the soft, pleasant smell of soap buffeted the senses.She %as %earing a simple, large (el(et robe, something commonly seenduring medical e'aminations.

"+re the settings incompatible *nii9sama s adjustments are al%ays perfect."

=ecause her response %as al%ays superlati(e accolades, there %as little point in telling her to change. From pre(ious e'perience, Tatsuya ne%that trying to do so %as pointless.


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Ho%e(er, the last time they did a full maintenance %as days ago.2sually, they only did a full maintenance once a %ee unless there %as anurgent reason, thought Tatsuya.

"&t s just, that..."

"3on t %orry about it. Bo ahead and say it li e you used to.""Sorry, & actually %anted *nii9sama to help me change a fe% +cti(ationSe uences..."

"1hat, just that. &t s nothing to %orry about. & %as getting %orried for a bit."

He softly brushed his sister s hair and too the -+3 from her hands.

Miyu i dipped her head in embarrassment.

"So, %hat systems do you %ant to add


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*f all the different types of magic, Miyu i speciali$ed in Speed9TypeMagics. *ne di(ision of Speed9Type Magic %as Free$ing Magic, capableof reducing a target s temperature to near absolute $ero.

"*nii9sama should no% that Speed Magic is rarely directed to%ards

indi(idual use and (ery difficult to %or %ith. 5artial speed reduction or partial free$ing are practically impossible, and the &n(ocation time is (erylong. & thought of this after %atching today s match. & m lac ing in magicsthat use speed as the primary focus, %ith the intent on using the minimalforce to subdue the opponent." (!)

"Hm... =ut & don t thin Miyu i fits that type. +ttac ing before theopponent is ready and using speed to disrupt the opponent is a legitimatestrategy. Ho%e(er, stri ing %ith force born of absolute superiority, using

one &nterference to nullify the incoming magic, then using magic that is both stronger and greater in scale than the opponent s defensi(e capability,don t you thin that orthodo' style fits you better


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"*nly *nii9sama can dual %ield t%o -+3s."

"&f you put your mind to it, you can do it too."

Tatsuya forced a smile as he ran his hand o(er Miyu i s head as she staredat him. Bently rubbing her hair or head %as one of Tatsuya s basic methodsfor impro(ing his sister s mood.The effect %as immediate.

Miyu i closed her eyes in pleasure as her small head %as completelyimmersed in her brother s tender care.

"?et s start %ith a uic e'amination."

Seeing that Miyu i s pleasant mood had returned, Tatsuya adopted aspecialist s e'pression.

Celuctantly lea(ing her brother s touch, Miyu i stepped bac and remo(edher robe.

1hat %as re(ealed before Tatsuya s eyes %as an indecently dressed body.

+s she lay on the e'amination bed, Miyu i %as only co(ered by her %hiteunderclothes.

Tidy and pure %hite, it seemed to turn the situation e(en more sensual.

)(en though they are in 6 no, against Miyu i s breathta ing beauty, noone should (e been able to eep their composure. Miyu i s stance e'udedenough charm to dri(e men mad.

His sister s eyes could not hide her sense of shame, but e(en under such aga$e Tatsuya remained stolid, not re(ealing a single emotional e'pression.

Cight no%, he %as a machine. +n obser(ing, analy$ing, recording machine%rapped in flesh.

-ompletely unaffected by emotion, objecti(ely analy$ing the situation0 anideal state Magicians stro(e to reach thus manifested upon Tatsuya s body.

@ @ @

"Bood %or , it s done."

Hearing Tatsuya s %ords, Miyu i left the bed and stood up.

This type of e'amination could not be obtained any%here.


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&n fact, it is e'tremely rare to see this sort of intensely detailedmaintenance.

The maintenance facilities on campus simply in(ol(ed putting on a pair ofheadphones and placing your hands on the touch pad for e'amination.

Tatsuya ept his eyes a(erted to the side %hile handing the (el(et robe bac to Miyu i, %ho %ore a glum e'pression %hile ga$ing at Tatsuya s bac .

Her elder brother sat in a chair %ith a bac rest that only reached the upper%aist and, as if nothing had happened, ga$ed at the terminal.

No, it %as not "as if".

+ctually, it %as e'pected that nothing %ould happen, since this %as a%ee ly occurring process.This %ould go on %ithout end if they %ere consciously a%are of eachindi(idual occurrence.

)(en though her embarrassment had not disappeared, and she %as acutelya%are that this sense of shame %as something that shouldn t be lost, shedidn t ha(e any thoughts to%ards ta ing the ne't step.

She forced herself not to thin of the ne't step.

&f her elder brother could eep his composure, this %as also something thatMiyu i could be happy about.

6&f only it %as as usual.

"*nii9sama is uite crafty..."

"Miyu i


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completely e'pressionless..."

"2h, Miyu i, & say


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He had ne(er lost consciousness longer than that instance.

His physical body did not allo% him to collapse for any duration longerthan that time.

This %as his personal magic, his curse.

+s he opened his eyes naturally, %hat he sa% %as a beautiful (isagestaring do%n at him.

"*nii9sama, good morning."

"...3id &, do something to incur your displeasure


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The only thing that man could do %as adopt that phony title, and collectthe hollo% praises of the masses.

That person %as not interested in this, she probably ne% this as %ell.

...She %as unable to control her o%n thoughts.

&t %as as if she %asn t herself and %ere someone else instead %hilethin ing this.

5robably not fully conscious, Miyu i thought.

Must be a lac of sleep.

The cause %as e'tremely ob(ious.

&t %as the reason behind %hy she had acted the %ay she had yesterday.

That moment had been perfectly peaceful.&t %as rare to see her elder brother so harried0 the sight %as both comicaland cute.

Her mood had been (ery pleasant.

Ho%e(er, once separated from her elder brother and lying alone in bed,that sense of peace had disappeared.

Her chest throbbed and she couldn t sleep.

2neasiness per(aded0 sleep remained elusi(e.

This must be lo(e.

=ut,

That can t be the passion of romantic lo(e.

+nd it couldn t be the affection of romantic lo(e.

=ecause that person %as her elder brother. Her elder brother by blood.From that moment years ago, %hen she first heard of their relation. (!) $ince being saved by that erson and knowing the truth that day % yearsago, I have worked hard towards being a worthy little sister to that erson(!)

I've always had this dream, that one day I would be able to hel that erson, #ust as he hel ed me I want to become the one that that erson

can de end u on &his was how I rationali ed it


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(rom that erson, I demand nothing

)ecause this life that should have faded away into oblivion, was saved bythat erson

*ven though right now I am only the shackles that bind that erson in lace )ut one day, I want to be the key that liberates him

I want to be the erson who can be of hel to him

6 &he first thing is to re are breakfast

While he could robably eat over there,

!nii+sama would robably obediently return home on an em ty stomach

&o let !nii+sama eat a delicious breakfast that is what I can do right now Miyu i smoothly rose, and stretched herself out.


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Chapter 5

There are many special things in the High School Magic 3i(ision, but the basic system is no different from normal schools.Here in the First High School, there are club acti(ities.

?i e normal schools, to become an official club, you need to ha(e aminimum amount of people and ha(e some ind of trac record.

=ut, since this school has a close relationship %ith magic, there are someclubs that can only e'ist in a Magic High School.

1ithin major magical games, schools *ne through Nine %ithin theMagical +cademy often get together and ha(e competitions. The outcomesof these competitions often ran these (arious schools. 3epending on theschools, they may put more emphasis to%ards these games than most

prestigious sports schools. &f a club %ere able to perform highly %ithin the"Nine Schools -ompetition", then the clubKs budget and its membersrecei(e special treatment.

Finding and getting talented ne% students has become the most important

tas e(ery year since it affects the influence the clubs ha(e on campus, andthis tas has full support from the school. ThatKs %hy during this season,the clubs battle ferociously in order to gain as many ne% students as

possible.

" +nd this is %hy all inds of trouble appears e(ery year."

&n the Student -ouncil Coom.

Thoroughly tasting Miyu iKs hand9made bento, Tatsuya listened to MariKs

e'planation."The solicitations from the clubs are so fierce, it often affects the classes.+nd it doesnKt help that thereKs only a %ee time limit for them to get asmany ne% students as they can,"

Mayumi, %ho %as sitting ne't to Mari, e'plained.

Nestled close to Tatsuya %as Miyu i herself, as if she belonged there.

Su$une and +$usa %ere not there. They only came to the room yesterday

because Mayumi in(ited them0 usually they had lunch %ith theirclassmates.


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Mari, li e yesterday, had her o%n home9made lunch. Mayumi %as slightlyangry because she %as the only one eating the dining ser(erKs machine9made lunch, but her mood seemed to finally reco(er. She e(en e'claimedthat she %ould start ma ing her lunch tomorro%.

"3uring this time, (arious clubs are bringing out the tents all at once. &tKsli e a small festi(al going on here. There are e(en secret lists that name allthe students %ho scored high grades on the entrance e'ams, and &Km surethose people %ill be hea(ily targeted. *b(iously, there are rules in placethat penali$e the clubs and its members if they brea them, but itKs notuncommon to see fist fights or e(en magic shooting about."

Tatsuya put on a surprised face after listening to MariKs e'planation.

"& thought carrying around -+3s is prohibited


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Seeing ho% she ignored the loo %ith a smile, it loo ed li e they do thissort of thing often.

+fter eating the last bite and putting the chopstic s do%n, his cup %as being filled %ith hot tea from beside him.

+fter ta ing a fe% sips, Tatsuya attempted to put up a small resistance."1ell, the clubs are targeting the students %ith the highest grades, meaningthe First -ourse students correct< & donKt thin & %ould be of any use inthat case."

*nly -ourse / students should police -ourse / students. He %as usingMariKs argument from yesterday against her.

"1ho cares about that. &Km counting on you."

She completely ble% it off.

There %as no %ay Tatsuya %as able to respond to this.

" Sigh , understood. & assume %e are starting after school" and uietly added

"Stupid *nii9sama", %hich may sound li e a curse depending on ho% youlisten to it. Then Tatsuya %ondered,


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"Na ajou9senpai is on support


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Modern Magic %as based on studies on super natural po%ers. Cather thancategori$ing magic by its (isual aspects, li e "the flame is burning" or "the%ind is blo%ing", they categori$e them by its effects.

"Speed, 1eight", "Mo(ement, Qibration", "-on(erge, 3issipate", and

"+bsorb, 3isperse" are no%n as the U SystemA Type magic. Branted,there are some e'emptions to this category. Magic that is not a part of the USystemA Type magic is bro en do%n into categories. *ne is perception9type magic no%n as ")S5" )'tra Sensory 5erception, not )'tra Special5o%er#. +nother is a magic that does not aim to alter phenomena bytemporarily re%riting the body of information associated %ith phenomena,")idos", but aims to control the 5sion itself. This is no%n as Non9Systematic Magic.

MayumiKs speciali$ed 5article Celease Magic is a typical Non9SystematicMagic. The magic Tatsuya used to !* Hattori is also more along the linesof Non9Systematic Magic rather than Qibration Magic#, but since 5sionmanipulation is technically a part of the U SystemA Type, the difference

bet%een the t%o is tri(ial.

+nd the third type isnKt something that manipulates physical objects, butthe spirits themsel(es. These types of magic are just referred to as the)'ternal Systematic Magic since they donKt belong to any type of system.Some e'amples of magic in these characters include magic that manipulatespiritual beings, mind reading, spirit separations, and e(en mind control.

"+s Tatsuya may ha(e figured out, +9chanKs +$usayumi is an&nformational Manipulati(e )'ternal Systematic Magic. &n any gi(en area,she can put multiple people under a trance9li e state and guide themho%e(er she %ants."

+fter being surprised multiple times, Mayumi finally ga(e the ans%er to

%hat "+$usayumi" is.The "&nformational Manipulati(e )'ternal Systematic Magic" is a type ofmental interference magic that controls not only your thoughts, but yourfeelings as %ell.

"+$usayumi isnKt something that robs or o(erta es your consciousness, soit doesnKt ma e the opponent completely helpless. &nstead, rather than onlyaffecting an indi(idual, it affects a group of people. So itKs the perfect typeof magic to calm do%n a %ild cro%d should they go out of hand."

+fter hearing MariKs additional e'planation, Tatsuya put on a serious


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e'pression.

" +renKt there first9class restrictions tied to that ind of magic though


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"& see."

"& didnKt no% you could do it li e that."

";es, you can "

The Shiba siblings nodded %ith understanding at MariKs e'planations%hile Mayumi

mahouka koukou no rettousei 01 - enrollment

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