Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 03 - Nine Schools Competition (I) (25 page)

Mayumi added "so long as there isn't a next time" with a smile, causing laughter to fill the bus.

Everyone shook off the intense anxiety and terror and resumed a more relaxed expression.

"Juumonji, thanks, you're just as dependable as ever."

"No.
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.
.
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.
Thanks to the fire quickly being extinguished, I could focus solely on stopping the vehicle.
Also, did Saegusa get rid of the rampant Magic Sequences?"

Hearing Katsuto's question, Mayumi's eyes drifted awkwardly.

"Ah!
I only noticed after the bus stopped.
.
.
.
.
."

Speaking of which, Mayumi was sleeping up until the moment of the accident.

Katsuto also realized this, so he only raised an eyebrow slightly but made no further comment — Katsuto was undoubtedly the most honorable person among the student body leaders.

"Ah, Miyuki-chan as well.
Your execution was flawless.
You were able to use such a narrow window to construct a perfect Magic Sequence.
That's an accomplishment that even us 3rd Year students would be hard pressed to emulate."

Katsuto and Mari both nodded in agreement at Mayumi's words.

All three of them knew very well that being able to correctly choose the appropriate magic and modulate it under such critical circumstances was no small feat.

Mayumi's praise caused Miyuki to blush deeply.

"President, I am honored by your praise.
However, thanks to Ichihara-sempai's powerful assistance in halting the bus, I had sufficient time to construct the Magic Sequence, otherwise even I'm afraid that I may have hurried my move in such a trying condition.
Ichihara-sempai, thank you."

Miyuki gravely bowed in thanks, to which Suzune silently nodded in response.

Kanon, who was sitting in front of Miyuki, turned around in her chair with an utterly gob smacked expression.

Mari was also unable to hide her astonishment.

Just as Miyuki said, there was no way the bus could've come to a halt in time with the brakes alone.

The moment the driver slammed on the brakes, it wasn't hard to imagine someone also using Speed Magic to help out.

But Mari only noticed everyone using magic to stop the incoming vehicle and was wholly ignorant of Suzune casting magic to stop the bus.

While everyone was preoccupied with visually confirming the danger, she accurately made the correct response.

Suzune's proficiency in magic was said to rival Mari and company, and today she more than sustained that reputation.
Also, Miyuki was the only one who detected Suzune's magic while everyone else remained ignorant; her talent was truly awe-inspiring.

"In comparison, you.
.
.
.
.
."

"Ow!
Mari-sempai, why did you hit me?"

Suddenly being knocked atop the head, Kanon complained tearfully.

"Stuff it, Kanon, do you have any right to complain?
Morisaki and Kitayama both panicked and used magic to complicate the situation, but that's only to be expected since they're 1st Year students.
But what's the deal with you as a 2nd Year student panicking first!"

"Uh, but my reaction was the fastest, I just didn't expect anyone else to overlap on magic.
.
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.
.
."

Kanon's explanation caused both Morisaki and Shizuku to droop in shame.

Quite a few others revealed awkward expressions.

"Fastest isn't always better!
At least evaluate the situation first, then make some sort of rudimentary communication between each other to avoid ambiguity, alright?
On top of that, based on the fact that you still didn't deactivate your magic even after noticing the conflicting situation proves that you had already lost your objectivity."

".
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I was wrong, I'm sorry."

Seeing Kanon's dejected state, Mari didn't go any further.

Even with this lecture, without the requisite training and experience, it was very difficult to remain calm under those circumstances.

When taking that into account, it was even more amazing that Miyuki was able to clearly communicate her decision to extinguish the flames.

This wasn't something that relied on talent alone.
Usually, geniuses tend to try and stick out too much, which actually hurts more since it compromises communication.

By this definition, Kanon possessed an exemplary genius mentality.

Miyuki must have gone through extensive and arduous training.

Her serene patience in waiting for the bus to resume moving was perfectly suited for her experiences, or completely unsuitable at the same time.

"Speaking of which, Shiba."

"Yes."

Mari called Tatsuya by name, but referred to Miyuki by surname.

Generally, she preferred to address others by surname and only called closer companions such as Mayumi, Kanon, and members of the Public Morals Committee by their name.
To her, Tatsuya was someone who she was especially close to.

"Do you know how those Magic Sequences.
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.
.
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.
No, never mind, don't worry about it, you performed magnificently."

"Ah?
Thank you for your compliment."

Originally, Mari wanted to ask the question "Do you know who used Counter Magic to erase those Magic Sequences?"

In the middle, she ruminated on whether she wanted to know the answer.

For some reason, Mari felt that the answer would cause devastating damage to "certain" objects in her immediate vicinity.

Outside the window, the male students from the technician team descended from the storage vehicles and commenced rescue operations.

That being said, the all-terrain vehicle not only violently struck the protective barrier and flipped through the air, it was also ablaze as well.

There was no chance the driver survived.

There were no women present, likely because the male students wished to spare them from the sight of the burning corpse.

Even though the fire was put out, the possibility that the ethanol-based gasoline would re-ignite was not zero.

Behind the 3rd Year students trying to cut out the door, a 1st Year student was using a camera to record the evidence.

Realizing that her eyes were continuously following his back, Mari swiftly averted her gaze.

After the incident, including the time spent during police interviews and assisting with clean up so that the bus could pass, roughly 30 minutes elapsed since the incident ended.
Figure in the delay from the start of the trip, the group arrived at the dorms shortly after noon.

From a strictly competitive standpoint, most of the contestants that excel during the Nine Schools Competition eventually join the military.

To safeguard their source of talented Magicians, the military heavily invested in the Nine Schools Competition in both the competition arena and the dormitories.
Hotels previously reserved for government officials during inspection or visiting foreign dignitaries and their followers were instead allocated for students and related personnel during the Nine Schools Competition.

That being said, it wasn't like the situation was all-encompassing.

In the end, the hotel was a military building, so there was no valet parking or suites.
Usually, the soldiers on duty at this location would be responsible for these missions, but the Nine Schools Competition was a high school event.
So, the students were responsible for carrying their own luggage.
The larger devices were left in the storage vehicles for easy access so they didn't have to be removed, but the smaller tools and CADs had to be shifted from the vehicles to the individual rooms for maintenance.

A certain 1st Year student from the technician team quickly accomplished his objectives.
Pushing a cart full of luggage forward and being accompanied by a smiling female student walking next to him, a sight that caused Hattori to shake his head with a heavy expression on his face.

"Hattori, what's up?
Take a look at your hangdog expression."

Behind him, a warm voice struck up a conversation.

"Kirihara.
.
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Nah, it's nothing."

Hattori turned around and verified that the man was indeed his good friend based on his voice, and reflexively responded with a vague answer.

"Really?
At least you look like something's awry."

He probably noticed himself.

Hattori didn't continue to deny Kirihara's words and let out a masochistic smirk.

"I've.
.
.
.
.
.
lost some confidence."

"Oh please, the competition is the day after tomorrow, what's with the doom and gloom?"

Kirihara was only responsible for "Crowd Ball" on the second day, but Hattori was scheduled for "Battle Board" on the first and third days as well as "Monolith Code" on the ninth and tenth days.

Hattori was on a different competition tier than Kirihara and was one of the primary aces for the 2nd Year cohort.

If his status was anything short of excellent, this would severely impact the overall team strategy.

Thus, it was surprising for Kirihara to panic at this stage.

"So why are you so depressed?"

In Kirihara's eyes, Hattori Gyoubu was a studious young man bursting with confidence, or maybe someone who worked arduously to earn that confidence.

Just in his second year alone, Hattori possessed the strength just second to the big three.
This distinction was not earned on talent alone, although this did feed his arrogance — a point that his friend didn't try to defend — and was the subject of much misinterpretation, but his diligence matched his abundant talent at the highest level.
At least, that was how Kirihara had always seen Hattori.

Hard working, talented and accomplished.
With these three under his belt, there was no reason why he should suddenly lose the wind in his sails.
.
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.

"Looks like you haven't noticed, how I envy you.
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."

"What is this?
Are you insinuating that I'm stupid?"

"No, but I do think you're slow."

"Hey!"

Hattori's usual mocking smile that was easily misunderstood by others returned.

He appeared to have recovered his balance.

That Hattori was able to improve his mood by digging Kirihara put a sour taste in Kirihara's mouth, but at least he wasn't worried any more.

".
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This isn't like you, right?
What exactly has dragged you down recently?"

Kirihara asked again with the full intention of returning the favor.

Hattori was not dull enough to misunderstand his friend's clumsy concern.

"That earlier incident.
.
.
.
.
."

"Ah~, that was too close."

"Yeah, and if nothing happened, I think a lot of people would've been hurt or even lost their lives."

"But didn't the President and company handily deal with it?
Isn't worrying about nonexistent injuries a sign of general anxiety?
This sort of reverse thinking is harmful to mental health."

Kirihara's forthright comment caused Hattori to laugh lightly.

"Kirihara, I really envy your ability to let it go, but that's not what I'm considering."

Hattori stopped for a moment then shook his head again.

".
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At the time, I couldn't do anything at all."

"That's because if you acted without thinking, that would only worsen the situation.
I think that holding back shows that you maintained a level head during a crisis."

Kirihara's words were meant to be comforting and not superficial lip service at all.
From his objective analysis of the situation, Hattori also acknowledged his words.