For a magic high school that prioritizes practical application above all else, the Nine Schools Competition—the National Magic High School Goodwill Magic Convention—is the defining event of the year. This holds true not just for the administration, but for the students themselves. Success in the competition often maps a direct path to a prestigious career; such outcomes are the rule rather than the exception. Consequently, students frequently pour more fervor into these games than they do their own periodic examinations.
Azusa Nakajou, First High's ever-cautious Student Council President, had begun preparations a full month earlier than usual to ensure her classmates' passion wouldn't go to waste. Thanks to her diligence, the council was on track to wrap up well before the hectic exam season. However, on Monday, July 2nd, 2096, an unexpected bolt from the blue struck the council room.
After school, Tatsuya and Miyuki headed toward the Student Council room as was their custom. Despite the upcoming exams, council duties marched on regardless of the academic calendar. Fortunately, due to Azusa's foresight, the workload on the officers this year was actually lighter than usual.
Tatsuya pushed open the door, but he froze mid-step as a heavy, oppressive atmosphere came drifting out of the room.
"Brother? Is something wr—"
Miyuki, peeking over his shoulder, also went rigid. Before them sat Azusa, her head buried in her hands, radiating a sense of despair so profound one might have thought the world was ending.
"Ah... hello, you two. Good work today."
"Good evening, Isori-senpai. What on earth happened?"
Tatsuya's style was to bypass pleasantries once he had sensed a problem. Ignoring the catatonic Azusa for a moment, he addressed Isori, who looked equally at a loss.
"Well, you see..."
"The Organizing Committee for the Nine Schools Competition just sent over this year's official guidelines," Azusa answered in Isori's stead, her face still hidden against the desk.
"I see. It is about that time," Tatsuya remarked.
"They mentioned the details would be posted on the official site tomorrow," Isori added.
"I understand. But what exactly is the problem?"
"Everything!" Azusa shouted, snapping her head up. "The guidelines announced a total overhaul of the competition events!"
"...What has changed?"
Tatsuya leaned back slightly, taken aback by her sudden intensity, but pressed on nonetheless.
"Three events! Speed Shooting, Crowd Ball, and Battle Board have been scrapped. In their place, they've added Roar and Gunner, Shield Down, and Steeplechase Cross-Country. To make matters worse, the only event that allows for double-entry is the Steeplechase! On top of that, Ice Pillars Break, Roar and Gunner, and Shield Down have been split into Solo and Pair divisions!"
Azusa slammed her palms against the desk to emphasize her point. At this, Tatsuya felt a strange sense of clarity. Every bit of Azusa's early preparation had been rendered moot; her efficiency had, ironically, backfired.
"Um, Brother? Roar and Gunner? Shield Down?" Miyuki interjected. "And... what kind of event is a 'Steeplechase Cross-Country'?"
"I can't be certain the rules I'm familiar with will apply exactly, but..."
Tatsuya offered the disclaimer before explaining the nature of the new events to his sister.
After finishing his explanation, Tatsuya couldn't help but voice the lingering concern in his mind.
"Roar and Gunner and Shield Down are one thing, but a Steeplechase is not an event you force high schoolers to compete in. What is the Organizing Committee thinking?"
As Tatsuya muttered his disapproval, Isori dropped another bombshell.
"It gets worse. For the Steeplechase, every single boy and girl in the second and third years is eligible for entry. In practice, it's a mandatory event for everyone except the freshmen."
"...Unless we devise extremely rigorous countermeasures, we're going to see a lot of dropouts," Tatsuya said grimly.
When Tatsuya said "dropouts," he wasn't referring to people quitting the race—he meant magicians whose careers would be ended by injury or overexertion.
"No...!"
The possibility clearly hadn't occurred to Azusa. She let out a groan of pure despair and slumped back onto the desk.
"Now that it's come to this, we have no choice but to restart the athlete selection process from scratch," Isori said.
"..."
"Fortunately, we still have time! It's not like all your hard work was for nothing!"
"..."
"I'm sure we'll figure out a way to handle the Steeplechase! So, come on, Nakajou-san. Right now, we—"
The Student Council was far too busy to spend all its time on Nine Schools prep. Isori was desperately trying to pull Azusa back to reality, gently shaking her shoulder as she lay slumped over the desk—only to freeze when a frigid gaze pierced him from behind.
"Kei?"
"...Kanon?"
Isori turned toward the stairs leading to the Disciplinary Committee HQ with the mechanical stiffness of a rusted doll. Standing there, as expected, was his fiancée. She was smiling, but a prominent vein was throbbing at her temple.
"Kei~? Just what do you think you're do~ing?"
"Wait, no, I was just—"
"Leaning over Nakajou-san like that... exactly what did you intend to do next?"
"It's a misunderstanding! A total misunderstanding!"
As Isori shook his head frantically, Azusa quietly scrambled toward the corner of the room to seek refuge. She had evidently decided that dealing with the "carnage" in front of her was a more pressing matter than the Nine Schools Competition.
"Nakajou-senpai," Tatsuya said, completely ignoring the scene. "Let's ask Chairman Hattori to assist with the discussions regarding the athlete selection and event assignments. Given the circumstances, I believe he will agree."
"You're right... let's have Hattori-kun help us."
Tatsuya chose to focus on resolving the competition issues, paying zero attention to the domestic dispute unfolding before him. If the President didn't snap back to reality soon, his own work would never end. Miyuki and Izumi watched the drama for a moment, exchanging looks, but soon followed Tatsuya's lead and returned to their tasks.
Ultimately, a bone-chilling killing intent permeated the Student Council room until the misunderstanding was cleared. Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—Azusa was the only officer present who was actually intimidated by Kanon's aura. Once Azusa's attention shifted away from the "war zone," the room returned to its usual rhythm for everyone else.
Not a single soul bothered to listen to Isori's desperate excuses echoing right beside them.
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