Two weeks later, the day of the Seven Star Tournament finally came. Outside of Auralia Magic High School, there was a large coach.
It was May 23rd, a Saturday. Today was the starting day for the Seven Star Tournament however the actual competition started tomorrow. The first day was merely a day of connections.
The first day was a banquet of sorts. The second and third day was competitions. The fourth day was a break. The fifth and sixth day was competition and the final day was a rest day.
The students from Auralia got on the coach. For the 25 people who were going, the coach was almost half empty.
"Now, sit in your assigned seats. I don't want any of you causing headaches."
Kiara said, slumping into her seat next to Masaki.
At the back, Ayato was in the corner next to Rika, the other first-year participating with him in the tournament. Of course, Ayato wasn't participating at all.
"Why do you act like that?"
Rika asked him.
Ayato turned from the window to the girl beside him. He raised his brow in confusion.
"Act like what?"
"For these past two weeks, I've been watching you. You always act somewhat arrogant and harsh but that's not your intention. It's like... the reason you act conceited is because it's the only way you know how to act."
She said, looking into his eyes. Ayato frowned before turning to the window beside him.
"I think you're just imagining things."
He said.
Rika smiled and looked forward.
"Maybe I am."
"Hey, have you heard about that Mage Killer?"
Some juniors in front of Ayato spoke to each other. He listened to their conversation.
"Oh, that masked guy! Yeah, I saw it. He's killed 15 magicians so far. Man, what're they doing?"
"Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. Apparently, the Mage Killer can use the Magic Seals of magicians that he's killed! He was seen using two Magic Seals after one another!"
"Woah, that's so cool! A magician's body can only handle one, right? The Mage Killer must be superhuman!"
"There's a social media page with all sorts of cool posts about the Mage Killer. See, this one, it's—!"
"Ah, it's so noisy."
Ayato blurted aloud. The juniors looked over their seat and glared at him.
"I'm sorry, should I talk more quietly?"
He asked in a sarcastic tone.
"No, you don't have to. Now I know that you support the scum killing magicians for no reason at all. Let me tell you something—killing someone is not something that should be treated as 'cool.' If you think the loss of life is a joke, perhaps you laugh every time you see someone die on the news, am I right?"
The juniors looked disgruntled.
"What?! Are you trying to pick a fight with—?!"
"Junichi, calm down."
Riku ordered. He was sitting in the middle with another senior. The junior sat down in a huff. Riku sighed.
"If anyone else believes that this Mage Killer is cool, then I suggest you do not. Do not make light of such a situation."
He said before turning back to the front.
"See?"
Rika whispered to him with a smile.
"You acted conceited again but you just set them straight."
Her cheeks turned red while speaking to him. Ayato instinctively edged toward the window.
"I think I'm falling in love with you, Ayato. People who can't see your true intentions are just dumb people."
"I-Is that so...?"
He felt nervous. As a boy with a fiancé, he felt uncomfortable near someone else who liked him. Yukina was extreme whenever Ayato was involved. He looked out the window, trying to ignore Rika's attempts at flirting.
·———·
In Tokyo, Shibuya, 2-AB walked through the streets with another woman next to her.
"Who would've thought that the Mage Killer was a woman?"
The woman said, looking at 2-AB.
"What do you want with me? As a black magician, I'm sure you have some use for me."
Black magicians are the opposite of magicians who work for the Association or Council. They're magicians who decided to use their powers to harm others.
The blue-haired woman in front of 2-AB was a black magician named Asami. She is titled the Black Magician of Silk. She had a seductive smile on her lips.
So far, 2-AB has been eliminating magicians on her way to Tokyo. She wore an overbust corset and a baggy hoodie to hide her identity as a woman. It worked for the most part. 2-AB also had to cut her hair short.
"I want to join you, Mage Killer. I've been monitoring your actions since you were at Kyushū and I'm impressed."
2-AB narrowed her eyes.
"Let me join you, Mage Killer. I don't care what your goal is, I just want to join you. Because, in the end, you're just planning to kill strong magicians, right?"
Asami was breathing heavily at the mere thought of killing magicians. She was a sadist, one that got off on fighting. It was indeed disturbing.
2-AB was reluctant on accepting her request. In the end, she sighed.
"No, this is a goal I want to complete by myself. I want to change the structure—the foundation, of this very world."
"For that, you need to kill World Magicians, right?"
The woman asked with a sly grin. 2-AB scowled.
'She's sharp.'
She thought.
"How about I tell you the location of a World Magician?"
"...!"
Now 2-AB was tempted. She hadn't been able to find a World Magician, no matter how much commotion she caused. 15 kills in and she still hasn't seen one.
"Which one?"
"Will you let me join you?"
"Yes, I will. Even if I have my pride, I will let you join."
She said. Asami exhaled, relieved.
"Okay, the information that I have is on the Magician of the Night. That's his official title given by the Association."
2-AB grabbed Asami's collar and squeezed it in her rage.
"Haha! So close!"
Asami laughed as her face was close to 2-AB's.
"Are you playing with me?! There is no Magician of the Night among the World Magicians. Don't lie to me!"
The woman blinked in confusion. She beamed a second later with a teasing look.
"Wait, you mean you don't know about the new World Magician?"
"What?"
2-AB calmed down slightly, taking her hand off Asami's collar. Asami got her phone out and showed her a new article.
"Around three weeks ago, a new World Magician was titled."
The blonde-haired girl snatched the phone out of Asami's hand and checked the article. It was authentic. No trick.
"A new World Magician? This wasn't in my..."
Then 2-AB noticed. The day she escaped from the ship was May 3rd, the same day that the article was published and when the new Magician of the Night became a World Magician.
Her data hadn't been updated that day. It was updated the day before she escaped.
2-AB looked at the Association's official website. She looked at the new World Magician's information.
"Ayato Kyouya... He's still in high school?"
"Yup, he's the youngest World Magician in the world."
'That means he must've been made a World Magician because he possesses aether. There's no way a high schooler could become one any other way.'
She surmised.
'He won't be that strong when I fight him but taking down someone with the title of World Magician would be beneficial to my cause.'
2-AB turned to Asami.
"Where is he?"
"Well, starting today, there's a tournament that all schools participate in. The Seven Star Tournament. He'll be in that."
"We'll just need to infiltrate it and find him, right?"
2-AB asked. The woman put her hands out.
"Woah, slow your roll. We won't be able to get in there with just the two of us. Let's make a plan. We'll have to infiltrate on the latter days. For now, let's get some comrades."
Asami took her phone back and skipped away happily. 2-AB followed her reluctantly.
"Ayato Kyouya... You'll be the first step to my goal."