AN: HAPPY NEW YEARS!!! I wish for everyone to have an even better year this 2023!!! 2020, 2021, and 2022 may not be the best for many of us, but let's continue to look forward and hope for the best for 2023!!!
Seventh day of the Nine Schools Competition.
In the middle of a dirty, ruined hallway on the second floor of the abandoned building, the arena of this Rookie Event Monolith Code match, the First High School, strapped in their gears, CADs, and helmet, huddled in front of a tall, jet-black, rectangular monolith.
Cut cables and broken ceiling lamps hung from the ceilings. The walls were cracked, ruined, while shards of broken glass, dust, and pieces of concrete and rocks covered the floor they stood on.
"Remember the plan. Our strength lies in ambushing them with Shun's quick draw magic and Kiriya's support. And this arena matches well with our strength. I will defend our monolith, while you two patrol and set up for ambushes. But don't go too far. We don't need to come to them. They need to come to us. Got it?"
"Mm. Got it."
"...Sure."
Yuuji glanced at Shun, his eyes narrowing slightly when he saw a look of dissatisfaction on his face.
He placed a hand on Shun's shoulder, causing him to look up to Yuuji in slight surprise.
"Let's win this without any casualties, alright? We still have a lot of matches to go through. Don't be reckless in your first match."
"...Got it."
Yuuji nodded and turned his gaze to both Shun and Kiriya once again.
"Check every corner. If you see someone, report first and check the surroundings before making any rash decisions. Let them make the first move. We'll counter. We have no one with spying abilities to peek at the codes once we open up their monolith, so the next best thing we could do is to defeat all three of their members. And in this abandoned building with a convoluted layout, the best thing to do is to ambush and eliminate them."
The two nodded to his words.
"Alright. Let's do our best. On three."
Yuuji moved his hand forward to the center and the two followed suit, placing their hands above his.
"Three, two, one, let's go!!!"
""Oh!""
Yuuji looked at the two as they did one final check on their CADs.
In the anime, Shun and his team were immediately blitzed by the enemy team and had the Battering Ram spell cast on the ceiling above them, causing them to be buried in rubble.
And this time, he expected the same thing to happen.
This is kinda nerve wracking…
He let out a sigh.
A few minutes later, the horn signaling the start of the match resounded.
And as he expected, a magic activation sequence appeared on the ceiling above him.
"Be careful!!!"
Shun and Kiriya both looked at him in shock, and their gaze quickly went up to the crumbling concrete ceiling above.
And with a sickening crack, the entire concrete ceiling fell upon all three.
"Wha- Uwaaaahhhkkkk-!"
"Aaaaaaaaarghhkk-!!!"
Yuuji quickly used his "Gravity" spell to protect all of them.
In that moment, the entire venue gasped in shock, staring speechlessly at the massive display monitors where they could only see the dust kicked up from the ground, covering the camera.
--------------------------------X--------------------------------
"YUUJI-KUN!!!"
"YUUJI!!!"
Mayumi and Erika suddenly burst into a hospital room in a panic, slightly panting after runnng all the way from the entrance of the hospital to his room.
Following closely behind them, Miyuki, Tatsuya, Mari, Honoka, Shizuku, Mizuki, Leon, and Mikihiko also entered the hospital room.
And upon their arrival, they could see Yuuji sitting on the bed, dressed in a hospital gown, and Aika sitting on a chair right beside him.
"Everyone? Why are you here-"
"Yuuji-kun! How are you feeling?!"
"Yuuji! Are you okay?! How are your injuries?!"
Both Mayumi and Erika quickly rushed to his side and looked up and down his body, trying to see how his injuries were.
"I'm fine. I didn't receive any injuries. I'm simply here because the medical team insisted I go through a few medical tests to make sure I'm okay."
Yuuji replied, his lips curled into a soft smile as he looked at the two concerned girls.
Erika's worry was obvious since she's his girlfriend, But Mayumi's worry made her feelings for him clear, especially when she's this frantic.
He couldn't help but feel a warm sensation growing in his chest. If there were no other people in the room aside from his girlfriends, he would've brought both Mayumi and Erika into his embrace to calm them down.
After all, there's no reason for them to worry in the first place. He successfully protected himself and the two from the collapsing building. And even if he was injured, Aika had already used her Heal on him just to make sure he was completely fine.
The two let out a sigh of relief before Honoka, Shizuku, and the rest of his friends approached his bed with concerned expressions.
"Y-Yuuji-kun, are you sure you're okay? After all, it was a terrible accident!"
"Thank you very much for your concern, Honoka. But I'm truly fine. However…"
He looked at Honoka and then Miyuki, and gave them both a look of confusion.
"Why are you two here? Shouldn't you be preparing for your Mirage Bat event this afternoon?"
"E-Eh?! T-That's- I-It's fine! We can return as soon as possible!!!"
"Of course we would come here, Yuuji-san. We were all extremely worried about you. And just like Honoka said, we can simply return right after our visit here. So there's no need for you to worry."
Miyuki took over the explanation from Honoka, who was a blushing mess, with a smile.
"Miyuki is right. I'm glad to see you're fine, Yuuji."
"Yeah! I'm super impressed, Yuuji. Can't believe you get out of that collapsing building unscathe!"
"Yeah… It's unbelievable."
"I-I-I'm glad you're fine, Y-Yuuji-kun…"
"Nn… I was worried. But I'm relieved to see you uninjured."
"Mm. Thanks, guys.
Yuuji smiled at Tatsuya, Leo, Mikihiko, Mizuki, and Shizuku.
"Heh~ I guess you are just that tough, huh? I thought you at least suffered from a sprain or bruise after having a building collapsing on you."
Mari smirked, looking at Yuuji with an amused, yet relieved, expression as she crossed her arms.
"Ahahaha… Thank you very much for your concern, Chairwoman…"
"Fufu~! It'll take more than a collapsing building to hurt Yuuji!!! He's super tough! Just like a cockroach!"
"OI!"
Laughters and giggles filled the room. And before long, everyone made themselves at home. Tatsuya stood beside the bed, while Mayumi, Erika, Mari, and Miyuki took some chairs and sat beside Yuuji's bed. The rest of them took a sit on the couches on the other side of the room.
"President, do you know how Shun and Kiriya are doing? I believe I managed to protect them, but I heard they were also brought into the hospital."
An unfortunate smile appeared on Mayumi's smile as she replied.
"They're still unconscious. Thanks to your efforts, they've miraculously only suffered from some minor injuries. Morisaki-kun sprained his ankle when he panicked and tried to run away. While Mochizuki-kun fell to the ground from the trembling and suffered from a few bruises."
She let out a sigh and continued.
"They're physically fine, but the doctors assumed the shock might've caused some problem with their mental states, given they're both still unconscious to this moment. Depending on their condition for the next few days, they'll have to spend at least the next three days in this hospital so their physical and mental health can be monitored."
"I see…"
It was unfortunate, but understandable. After all, anyone would've received a tremendous shock if the building suddenly collapsed on them. He wasn't as shocked because he expected it, but for those two, they might think they're going to die at that moment.
Just like Kobayakawa Keiko, the girl who fainted upon having her CAD malfunction during her Mirage Bat competition, they must've suffered a tremendous blow to their mental state.
He let out a sigh and turned his gaze towards Mayumi and Mari.
"I see… That is unfortunate. Speaking of which, have we received any results regarding the investigation of the board committee members in charge of checking the CADs used in competition?
If used indoors with people inside, Battering Ram is elevated to a lethal Rank A status. This goes far beyond the reckless surfing in that Battle Board race. It was a clear violation. Even they wouldn't be able to simply brush this off easily."
Mari closed her eyes and let out a sigh, one displaying her exasperation, while Mayumi shook her head in disappointment.
"We have inquired with the Fourth High School team regarding this incident, and they insisted that they didn't include the Battering Ram spell into any of their CADs. But even with that fact presented to the board tournament committee, they simply inform us that they're still running internal investigations to the best of their abilities."
"That means there's no results yet?"
Mayumi nodded.
"They're currently questioning the person in charge of checking the CADs used by the Fourth High School's Monolith Code team, but they found no evidence as of yet."
"I see…"
It was disappointing, but it can't be helped. With moles inside the board committee, this kind of results were to be as expected. Moreover, they must've also taken a lot of measures to make sure their sabotage attempts were completely concealed.
Point and case, the only reason Tatsuya found out about the sabotage done by the board committee in charge of checking the CADs that would be used in competitions was because he could literally read all the activation sequence of the spell they're using to check her sister's CAD. Only then did he could find a virus injected into the system he designed himself, which was later revealed as Golden Electric Silkworms by the Patriarch himself.
But still… I still hoped they would have found something, even something as little as a slip up, if he put enough pressure.
Just then, a knock came to the door and the voice of a middle-aged man resounded from beyond.
"Please come in."
The door opened, and came a doctor with slightly graying hair and friendly smile and a beautiful, blushing nurse.
"Tsubakihara-san. How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling just fine, doctor. How are the tests?"
"You are healthy as a bull. We've run it a few times just to make sure, but you have proven to be extremely tough, Tsubakihara-san. I've never seen anyone get out this unscathed after having a building collapsing on them."
The doctor laughed and gave him a piece of paper.
"Here are your discharge papers. Don't worry, all the expenses have been covered by your school. You are free to leave as you wish."
"Is that so? Thank you very much, doctor. I'm glad I could be discharged this soon. After all, I wouldn't want to miss my friends' Mirage Bat match."
He turned to look at Miyuki and Honoka.
"Eh?! You're still going to go and watch? You can't! You must rest!"
"T-That's right, Yuuji-kun! Y-Your health is more important!"
Mayumi and Honoka raised their voices in objection.
"It'll be fine. I'm completely fine, as the doctor said. And I'll only be watching. After all, I don't want to miss you two winning your match!"
Mayumi sighed while Honoka blushed as she felt a mix of feelings. On one hand, she's super happy that Yuuji would be watching her. But on the other hand, she's also worried for his health and wished he would rest.
"Hah… Alright. But promise me you'll rest right after, okay?"
"I promise I will rest right after the match ends."
After all, I'll still need to get ready for the Monolith Code match tomorrow with my new team.
"...Okay."
Yuuji smiled and looked at the doctor once more.
"Is there anything else I need to know, doctor?"
"No. You are free to go. Take care, Tsubakihara-kun."
"Yes. Thank you very much."
--------------------------------X--------------------------------
As expected, both Miyuki and Honoka won their Rookie Event Mirage Bat Finals. And Miyuki even used Tatsuya's flying spell and showed them off to everyone. It wasn't even a challenge for her.
But, right after the match, he couldn't even go and congratulate the two for their win and were immediately forced to return to his bed to rest by Mayumi.
Thus, he was now laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling dazedly with Aika and Erika by his side and resting, just as promised.
"Hey, are you really okay? Are you sure you don't have any bruises or anything?"
Erika asked with a frown, propping up her body with her arm to look over him.
She was still reeling from the shock of seeing the building he was in crumble in the middle of the match. If not for Aika stopping her, she might've run into the ruins to find him herself
Even after having the test results from the hospital, she was extremely worried for him even though he had gone through the lengths of showing her his uninjured body.
Yuuji smiled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her on top of him into his embrace.
"I'm fine, Erika. I managed to protect myself just in time. There's no need to worry."
He stroked her back gently and kissed her head to calm her down.
"Uhn~! You don't need to worry too much, Erika~! This guy's tough! Even if he failed to cast his spell in time, a few falling pebbles won't hurt him!"
"...I wish you'd worry more."
"Fufufu~ I am. But I know you're tough too~"
Aika grinned and hugged him tightly, pressing her breasts against his arm and kissing his cheek.
"...You little."
Yuuji sighed and pinched her butt a little, causing her to squirm.
"Hyaa~ Yuuji, you pervy~"
"Hah…"
Erika shook her head and sighed tiredly, but a smile still found its way to her face. If she didn't know Aika, she might've thought Aika didn't really care for Yuuji. But, she knew better.
Being "head over heels" would be a gross understatement when it comes to describing Aika's feelings for Yuuji. She was… truly in love. She trusted him so fully and genuinely, proven by the fact that she allowed Erika to be Yuuji's lover as well, because she knew Yuuji would still love her the same.
She was acting this way because she knew Yuuji was fine and that there was no way he'd be harmed by a "measly" collapsing building.
"Oh, by the way~ Juumonji-senpai called you for a meeting in a few hours, right?Are you going to talk about the replacements for your Monolith Code team?"
Aika asked, raising her head slightly to see his face better.
"Mm, I think so."
"Oh? Then who would you be picking?"
Erika asked in curiosity.Besides Tatsuya, Mikihiko, and… Leo, though she didn't want to admit it, there's no other first year male students here right now that caught Erika's eyes in terms of abilities.
Unfortunately, she didn't think he'd be able to pick from the three since one was an engineer while the others weren't even supposed to be here, just like her.
"I'm thinking of picking Tatsuya and Mikihiko. Tatsuya is… well, I guess I don't need to explain much about him. And Mikihiko, with his ancient magic, would be a great asset for guerilla warfare."
"Eh? Really?"
Erika looked at him in wonder.
"Of course. I can leave the vanguard to Tatsuya and let him wreak havoc on the enemy team. Have Mikihiko annoy the ones infiltrating, and if they manage to bypass him, I can take care of it."
"No, I know they're good, but can you have them in your team?! Tatsuya's an engineer, and Miki is only here because his family sent him here."
Yuuji looked at her with a smile and pulled Erika back down into his embrace. It was a bit of a surprise, but Erika stayed on his chest, shyly rubbing her cheeks against him.
"They will. I'm sure Juumonji-senpai is willing to "persuade" the board committee to let me do it since I am the victim of that freak "accident" here."
"Hm… I guess…"
Erika muttered, her voice still filled with doubt. But then, Yuuji stroke her head softly and said,
"Don't worry. If all else fails, I'll show them what a one-man-army looks like."
Erika's eyes widened slightly at his words, and when she looked up, she could feel her cheeks heating up and her heart skipping a beat at his confident smile.
--------------------------------X--------------------------------
As expected, ten minutes before the time of the meeting, a knock came to Yuuji's door. Aika and Erika quickly hide themselves while Yuuji comes to the door to greet the person.
When he opened the door, he saw Takeaki Kirihara, the second year student and captain of the kenjutsu club that he was acquainted with during the blanche incident.
"Ah, Kirihara-senpai. Good evening."
"Yo, Tsubakihara. How are you doing? I saw it when a building just collapsed on you."
"Thank you very much for your concern. But I am fine. The doctors have run tests on me to make sure of it, and the results are as you can see."
"I see."
"Though, unfortunately, the other two seemed to still be in the hospital from shock."
"They'll be fine. I heard they're miraculously uninjured because of you."
"Yes, well. It is fortunate that I managed to notice the spell quickly and protected them just in time."
"Mm. Then, come with me. The Chairman had told you about the meeting, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. I'll lead you there."
"Please take care of me."
With Kirihara leading the way, Yuuji head to the meeting room reserved by the First High team.
Upon entering, he saw several figures there. There was Isori Kei, Hattori Gyoubushoujo Hanzou, Ichihara Suzune, Nakajou Azusa, Watanabe Mari, Juumonji Katsuto, and lastly, Saegusa Mayumi.
Immediately, everyone's eyes turned to him as he entered. There was a tense stillness in the room. Everyone seemed focused and solemn. Well, everyone except for one.
Through her expression alone, Yuuji could sense Mayumi's dissatisfaction with the situation. And it's easy to understand why.
"Tsubakihara. Good work today. How are you feeling? I'm sorry I can come visit you in the hospital this afternoon."
"I am fine. The doctors have run tests to make sure of my condition, and I am discharged after the results tell them I am completely fine. Thank you very much for your concern, chairman."
Yuuji lowered his head in a bow towards Katsuto.
"That's good. Then let me get down to business."
"Yes."
Yuuji raised his head and the expression of everyone in the room came to sight once again. Most of them still held their solemn expressions, but Mayumi was becoming more and more dissatisfied with the situation. She's even pouting her lips now as she glanced at Yuuji and Katsuto back and forth.
"According to the current standings, First High is still at the top in points scored. Third High is in second place, and in terms of just the Rookie events, they're fifty points behind us. Even if we withdraw from the Monolith Code now, we'd be assured of a second-place finish in the Rookie division. Before the Rookie events started, I would've been satisfied with that but… Now that we've come this far, I'd like to shoot for first place in the Rookie events, as well."
"Yes. I understand the sentiment."
Juumonji Katsuto, the heir and acting head of the Juumonji Clan of the Ten Master Clan, let out a rare smile and nodded at Yuuji.
"Ichijou Masaki. Kichijouji Shinkurou. Are you aware of these two?"
"Yes. We actually crossed paths just this morning. Well, they seemed to be waiting for me. They've declared their desire to fight and win against me in the Monolith Code event."
Hushed gasps of shock resounded from the others as Katsuto continued to fix his gaze at Yuuji silently.
"I see. Then, without you in the picture and with those two teamed up, there's little chance that they'd suffer an upset in this tournament."
"Yes."
"Then I ask you this. Are you still willing to compete in the Monolith Code tournament tomorrow?"
"Yes-"
"Wait a minute! Juumonji-kun, even though Yuuji might be our best chance to defeat the crimson prince and cardinal george in this event, he's still recovering from this morning's incident!"
"Saegusa, the doctors had already confirmed he is fit to continue the competition."
"But-"
"President."
Mayumi turned to look at Yuuji, her eyes filled with worry and fear. Fear of… perhaps losing him or seeing him suffering from a terrible injury. Even now, she could still remember the dread and the chill running down her spine the moment she saw the building he's currently in crumbling into ruins.
And since the mastermind behind these sabotages was still unfound, there's a chance such a tragedy might befall upon him once again. And she didn't want to see it again… She never wanted to feel the fear of losing him ever again.
But seeing his soft, warm smile, the determination she had steeled to prevent Yuuji from fighting in the monolith code event suddenly melted away.
"I will be okay, president. I promise you that I will return uninjured and bring you and our school victory."
"Yuuji-kun…"
Her cheeks flushed as she clenched her teeth in frustration and look at him with watery eyes.
"Geez! I don't care anymore!"
She harrumphed and averted her face away, crossing her arms.
Kei, Kirihara, Hanzou, and Azusa widened their eyes in shock when they saw her reaction. On the other hand, Mari and Suzune simply smiled and kept their silence.
Yuuji smiled helplessly. He knew how hard it was for Mayumi to let him go and compete once again after witnessing such tragedy befalling him. After all, he would do the same if the situation was reversed.
But, he still needed to do it. He needed to make sure First High would win this Nine Schools' Competition to complete the mission from the Multiverse Chat Group.
Yuuji turned towards Katsuto, who fixed his gaze at him once again.
"Chairman. I am willing to participate in the Monolith Code tournament once again. But… I don't think I can say the same for my other two teammates."
"I know. That is why, I will have you pick two other students from our school and form a new team."
"...I was under the impression that players couldn't be replaced even in the case of a debilitating injury."
"I've talked to them, and they've made an exception for that."
"I see…"
"So? Do you have anyone in mind for it? If you need time, then come back here in an hour."
"No, there is no need. I already have two people in mind. But I'd still need to inform them and receive their agreement."
"We will be present if you need to persuade them."
Yuuji's lips curled into a smile, the sight mesmerizing the four girls within the room. Even Mayumi, who was still upset at him, couldn't help but fall into a daze and stare at him from the corner of her eyes.
"Can it be anybody? Even if I choose one from outside the team?"
"Eh?! That's a bit-"
"It's fine. We've already made enough exceptions for this. And after everything they've done to us… one or two more won't matter."
Katsuto declared as such with venom directed towards the board committee present in his words. And for those who were informed by Yuuji regarding the forces behind the recent "incidents" happening to their school, they could understand his sentiment.
"Thank you very much. Then, my picks will be Shiba Tatsuya of 1-E and Yoshida Mikihiko of 1-E as well."
"O-Oi, Tsubakihara-!"
Hanzou slammed the table in shock of his words, but before he could say anything more, Suzune raised her hand and stopped him.
"Yuuji, would you mind telling us the reason why you chose those two?"
Mari asked, similarly wondering the reason behind his picks. She could understand Tatsuya, but she wanted to know the reason behind his pick for Mikihiko.
"Of course. The biggest reason is that I have hardly watched any of the men's matches or practice sessions as I am busy with my own and my former teammates, as well as my role as Aika's engineer and assistant engineers for a few other athletes. I know nothing about their specialties or characteristics. In light of the match being tomorrow, if I were to research their abilities from scratch, there wouldn't be enough time for strategizing and fine-tuning. "
"You mean that you're familiar with those particular two?"
Yuuji then shrugged and let out a helpless smile.
"As shameful as it is, these two are two of the three male friends I am familiar with. Although we are in different classes, Tatsuya and I are close friends even before coming to First High. And my relationship with Yoshida can also be considered close friends."
"I see. I guess you are only popular with girls. It makes sense why you only have three male friends from a different class."
Yuuji's lips twitched at Mari's comment and the sniffled giggles from the other three girls.
"And so? What's the non-biggest reason?"
Yuuji smiled and answered with the utmost confidence."
"Their ability."