Maidens of Cygnus - Volume 3 - Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Finally, Onwards to a New Stage

The day after the Martial Magic Arts competition with First High was held.

Classes proceeded as usual in Third High.

Unlike First High, Third High doesn’t have any similar system of changing classes depending on the results of the monthly practical skills exams.

At Third High, training is conducted in groups of four, and by giving them group evaluation on top of the individual evaluation, those who have good results are given motivation to assist those who do not. Like this, part of the practical skills instruction is taken on by excellent students, covering for the shortage of teachers.

In class 1-A, Akane and Reira were coaching in the fundamental Convergence-Type Magic, air compression magic.

It may seem confusing and unnatural for Akane and Reira, both being ‘Ichijou’, to be in the same group. But at Third High, these two are regarded as a pair by default.

Third High’s class division is completely at random. The theory that the classes are decided by a randomizer program is considered to be very likely. And, while both being in class A, Akane’s academic results are at the top, and Reira’s are at the bottom among the first-year students. At the time she was admitted, Reira could use no more than two kinds of magic. She was at a level that could make others wonder why she could enroll at Third High.

Her admission, publicly, was the result of her evaluation as someone who has a particular outstanding aptitude for one Release-Type Magic, aerial electric discharge magic.

But the reality is different.

It was a backdoor admission.

Due to the necessity of Ichijou Akane monitoring the Great Asian Union’s Nationally Recognized Strategic-Class Magician Liú Lìlěi, there was an inflexible demand from the national defense forces to admit Liú Lìlěi = Ichijou Reira at Third High. An inflexible demand that the Principal of Third High, Maeda Chizuru, whose motto is to do things according to her own beliefs, had no choice but to accept.

And tied along with it was a secret agreement that the Ichijou Family would assume all responsibility of Reira’s admission into Third High.

Apart from this situation behind the scenes, it also looked natural to the eyes of students who don’t know a thing as well as the teachers who don’t know the situation for Akane, the top of practical skill grades, to instruct Reira, her relative at the bottom.

Even now, Reira was putting excruciating effort into simple air compression magic. However, no Third High student who saw her looked down on her in contempt.

Third High heralds its warlike spirit. Among the Third High students, the students with strong combat abilities are more distinguished than those with excellent practical skills.

Reira’s — Liú Lìlěi’s ‘Thunderclap Tower’ can be considered the easiest among the Strategic Class Magic to use. Its scale of adjustment is massive. Unlike ‘Material Burst’, which is guaranteed to cause major destruction when it’s activated, its scale can be reduced to a level where it would be mistaken for ordinary electric shock magic.

In her first mock battle, Reira instantly defeated her opponent — a male student in his first year, just like her — with a ‘Thunderclap Tower’ with its scale brought down to an inter-personal level — she paralyzed him instantly to knock him out. When that continued for three, four people, she established herself inside Third High as someone who ‘has poor grades, but is strong in combat’.

Some sharp-eared students suspected ‘isn’t Ichijou Reira Liú Lìlěi?’ and didn’t look down on her from the start, but after the results of this mock battle, even other students acknowledged Reira was superior.

If there was a girls’ Monolith Code event at the Nine School Competition, Reira would without a doubt be chosen. But in the already announced events, girls’ Monolith Code was not among them. Looking at the other events as well, it was unlikely that Reira would be chosen for any competition.

“...Rei-chan, wasn’t that pretty good?”

“Thank you. However, I’m still a long way from getting to a passing level.”

There was no nuance of self-torture in Reira’s voice. It was a tone of acknowledgement of objective facts.

The magics she could use when she enrolled were ‘Thunderclap Tower’ and ‘Electromagnetic Wave Isolation’. The former aside, the difficulty of the latter is not that high. Since it is these two, her Magic Calculation Area isn’t completely occupied.

So there was room to learn other magic, but as compensation for having her Strategic-Class Magic permanently in standby state, the magical resources that Reira can freely use are considerably limited. The deterioration of her academic results was inevitable.

Reira herself also understands that. Besides, she also understands her position as a defected soldier, as a former Nationally Recognized Strategic-Class Magician of the Great Asian Union. As such, she doesn’t worry about school results.

“Let’s take a break?”

“Yes.”

Reira agreed with Akane’s suggestion. The two replaced members of the same group who were taking a break until then and sat down on the chairs they had been sitting in.

“Come to think of it, Akane. During lunch break, you were called to the conference room, weren’t you?”

Right now they are in the fourth period, the first lesson in the afternoon. The curriculum at Magic University-Attached High Schools has three periods in the morning and two in the afternoon.

“Aah, that. I was chosen as a team member for the Nine Schools Competition.”

“So that was it. It was obvious since it’s you, but congratulations.”

Just like what she said, Reira’s congratulated her with an indifferent tone.

“Thank you.”

Akane said it plainly as well.

“What competition were you chosen for? I think Ice Pillars Break would be the most suitable for you.”

“It was Mirage Bat. Since Newcomers Pillars Break is doubles, they said it’d be a waste.”

“I see. It’s true, using Akane in doubles may be a waste.”

“Though if I were given a choice, I would prefer to be in the main competition’s Pillars Break.”

“Don’t go stealing the opportunity from your seniors.”

Neither Akane herself nor Reira thought Akane’s comment about wanting to be in the main competition was presumptuous. She’s not as good at it as her older brother Ichijou Masaki, but she can also more or less use ‘Rupture’.

Ichijou Family’s trump card, Rupture, is magic that vaporizes liquid, and though it can’t directly destroy solidified water, if even a part of the ice is melted, ‘Rupture’ will cause a water vapor explosion that can either destroy it or make it collapse in one go. Using this strategy, Masaki won Pillars Break at the 2096 Nine Schools Competition.

“Mirage Bat looks interesting too though, so I’m okay with it... On that subject, I wonder what event she will be in?”

“She... First High’s Tookami Marika?”

“Yeah, her. I wonder if she will appear in Mirage Bat too...”

“You seem awfully fond of her.”

After Reira said that, Akane blinked exaggeratingly.

“Fond... it’s more like, I’m interested in her.”

Looking away from Reira’s face, Akane muttered her reply.

Reira felt that Akane was staring, not somewhere here, but somewhere far away, and at the end of that gaze that seemed to crave for something was Tookami Marika.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Uwah! Ah, that was close.”

Tuesday, 7th of July, in the morning. In the classroom of First High School’s class 1-A.

Marika suddenly raised her voice unharmoniously and Alisa got up from her seat and walked to her side.

“...What happened, so suddenly?”

Alisa asked with no sense of urgency because Marika was patting her chest in relief. The monologue that followed her yelling also meant that she had been in a pinch but somehow managed to overcome it. There should be no mistake in Alisa’s conclusion that ‘there is no need to worry’.

“Eh, no, it’s nothing.”

Marika’s flustered appearance didn’t look to be just because she was surprised at being unexpectedly talked to.

“Ah, the results of the end-of-term exams came out.”

Alisa quickly read the list displayed on Marika’s terminal. The results of the end of first term exams from last week were already displayed.

“Y-Yeah, that! Asha, you’re in second. You’re amazing! Congratulations.”

Marika responded, talking very fast.

On the terminal is the list of the 32 first year students with the best results. In first place is Mei, in second, as Marika said, is Alisa. The runner-up in the admission exams, Kagari, is third. These are the overall results, but the practical skills results have the same order.

“Yeah, thanks.”

Alisa responded to Marika’s congratulations with a reserved tone.

It’s not that she’s acting like it’s no big deal. It’s something to be happy about, so she was happy, but she felt it would embarrassing to be in high spirits because of the results in front of her other classmates, so she naturally assumed this attitude.

“How did you do, Mina?”

Right away, Marika tried to hide the display with her own body.

But Alisa’s eyes were quicker.

“— 25th in practical skills. I’m glad, that means we’ll be in the same class next month too."

“Yeah, we are. Just barely.”

Marika laughed with a “Ehehe”. Alisa also returned a gentle smile.

Because of the end-of-term exams at the end of June, there were no monthly exams, but that didn’t mean that there would be no class changes as a result.

The classes in July are determined by the results of the end-of-term exams carried out the other day. And the number of people in one class is 25.

In other words, those up to 25th in practical skills results will be in class A.

It was just barely, but she got to the first class. There should be no need to be shy, so why had she hastily tried to hide it?

“... But in overall, you’re 81st. Hmm, maybe you should try a little harder?”

Marika’s written exam scores were below average. Should it be said that she got these results despite Alisa using her time to help her, or perhaps it was because Alisa taught her that her results didn’t go any lower?

“...I’ll do my best.”

Marika, both in voice and attitude, got smaller.

Marika got depressed by her written exam results, but by afternoon she was back to her usual mood. After completing their usual Public Morals Committee patrol after school, Marika and Alisa returned together to the Public Morals Committee headquarters. — Alisa has been on duty almost continuously since Saturday of last week, but this was because she was hoping to focus on practicing for the newcomers competition starting next week.

“We’ve completed our patrol. No transgressors today!”

As she opened the door to the headquarters, Marika made a cheerful report.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

After the words of appreciation from Committee Chief Urabe Aki,

“Tookami-san, do you have a moment?”

Her comment was followed by a cute girly voice that usually is not heard in this room.

“Yes, President. What is it?”

Marika greeted Aki with her eyes and then stood in front of the Student Council President, Mitsuya Shiina, who was sitting alongside Aki on the other side of the desk.

“Both of you, could you sit down?”

Shiina told Marika to sit down, as well as Alisa who came along with her.

The two obediently — in Marika’s case it may be more suitable to say ‘without restraint’ — sat down on the chairs they were pointed to. In front of Marika was Shiina and in front of Alisa was Aki.

“This will be quick, Tookami-san. Your name was listed as a team member candidate for Mirage Bat.”

“...For the newcomers Mirage Bat at the Nine Schools Competition?”

Marika produced a question to seek confirmation, to which Shiina nodded with a “Yeah”.

“Me, in Mirage Bat...?”

“Up until now there are four candidates, including you, Tookami-san. We are limited to two members for Mirage Bat. I was thinking of having every candidate participate in practice for the Nine Schools Competition and make the final decision based on the results.”

Listening to Shiina’s explanation next to Marika, Alisa frowned. Ultimately four people will compete and of those two will be rejected. This is probably unavoidable to choose winning members, but considering the feelings of those who wouldn’t get chosen in the end, it would make her miserable.

But the concerned party, Marika, had a different perspective.

Being given the opportunity to compete is the same as being given a chance. If she can’t enter, she can’t win any prizes. There is no pride in just being given without competing. — That is what Marika believes.

Consequently, her answer was settled.

“Please let me do it.”

Marika applied for it before being asked if she intended to participate.

“Are you sure? If you don’t get chosen, participating in practice will become a waste of time. Won’t you regret that you could have used that time more meaningfully by practicing for the Magic Arts national tournament?”

It was probably because Shiina is honest that, while she had come to invite her, she said something that sounded like she was trying to stop Marika.

“It’s fine. I don’t think it will be a waste even if I don’t get chosen.”

But Marika’s words, her will, they are unshakable.

“I understand. It will be a pleasure to have you.”

Shiina nodded with a smile. Aki also had a satisfied smile.

Alisa just turned to Marika, looking slightly worried, and said nothing.