--- RECAP & Explanations---
4th Trial is in [The Irregular at a Magic High School]
[Characters of the 4th Trial]
MC: Nakamura Hikari, an average guy that had no talent for Magic and was thus shunned by his family.
Sister: Nakamura Akari, No older than seventeen. Long, dark hair with bangs, and bright blue eyes.
It was hinted that the focus of this Trial would have been the relationship with his sister, and Magic.
In fact, we'll largely skip stuff to focus on those aspects, to quickly pass onto the 5th Trial, which will be a major turning point.
In short, there is no world in the 5th Trial.
We'll get onto what that means in the future.
Anyway, back to explanations:
The MC aces the entrance exam, entering into class 1-A with his sister, which is shown to have conflicting feelings over this as she thinks bro lied to her and was actually a genius like her.
Of course, while pacifying her, trouble follows him as Morisaki Shun mocks him, and thus the MC needs to teach the kid who's the father.
--- [Things to Remember] ---
From chapter 155:
New System feature announced.
Regular Trials/Irregular Ones
Best Possible Path/New Failure Condition(Forcibly taking of MC's abilities) may be a clue to unearthing the System's 'true' core.
Yui is currently searching for insights into all this mess.
MC's Magic System is being reconstructed and adapted by the Authority of Adaptability, Mana...
--- [Things to Remember] ---
For a more comprehensive recap, you can look forward to the next chapters.
--- Shiba Miyuki ---
The professor droned on with what was supposed to be a boring first lesson, but I couldn't care less about any of it.
My focus was on one person alone: my Onii-sama!
My incredible, brilliant Onii-sama, was right by my side.
I'm so happy...
Oh, Onii-sama...
I had no hope the school would recognize his talent.
It's always been like that, after all.
He has a brilliance that could outshine anyone, even if most people are too clueless to see it.
But finally, he was given the respect he deserved!
I am really happy.
...There were downsides, though.
Because of this, girls kept flocking to him like moths to a flame, giggling and batting their lashes, asking for his contact information, and—oh, the audacity!—some were even brazen enough to hint at "private study sessions."
I really wished I could slap those arrogant ones to death.
Naturally, I had to intervene. I couldn't let those ducklings swarm around my Onii-sama, stealing his attention.
Ah, if only I weren't his sister, then maybe…
No, no, no—what am I thinking?!
…But, hypothetically, if we weren't related…
Gah! Snap out of it!
Without realizing it, my face had grown beet red.
Just as I was starting to lose myself in my fantasies, an unsettling thought yanked me back to reality.
The top student position.
My Onii-sama hadn't been ranked as the class ace.
How?
That was the first question that blared in my mind.
Sure, I was well aware there were certain limitations keeping my Onii-sama from showing his full abilities.
But even so, just half his power should've been more than enough to blow everyone else away.
And yet… that wasn't the case.
I shifted my gaze, glancing toward my Onii-sama, and he met my eyes, a silent understanding passing between us.
No words were needed.
We both knew.
This "ace" was no ordinary student.
Now, I know you might think I'm biased towards my Onii-sama. And yes, that may be true. But trust me, my instincts here were not clouded by my adoration in the slightest.
Just cold facts.
Narukami Hikari.
This person wasn't simple.
He was…dangerous.
My mind drifted back to that first, fleeting glance, when I'd briefly met his eyes.
No one else seemed to sense it, yet it had been unmistakable to me—a ruthless ferocity lurking beneath his composed gaze, like a predator's intent buried just under the surface.
It wasn't just his eyes. It was in the way he held himself, calm yet coiled, exuding a controlled readiness I knew all too well.
He was a professional.
I'd seen it before, in the hardened expressions of military officers and members within my family.
These were people trained to take lives, forged through blood and conflict, people who moved through the world always calculating, always aware.
That's what I'd sensed in him, something no ordinary student our age could replicate.
A part of me shivered, recalling the last thought I'd tried to push away: If my Onii-sama had more emotions, perhaps he would be no different.
I could feel the shiver run through me again. And for reasons I didn't entirely want to admit, that left me... slightly intrigued.
But at the time, I should've remembered the famous saying.
Curiosity kills the cat.
---
If there's one silver lining, it's that a duel is about to take place.
I am more than curious to see how strong he actually is.
Normally, I have a peculiar knack for picking up subtle hints about others.
Only truly exceptional concealment spells or extremely rare types of magic ever made me fail.
But when I tried to sense anything from him, I came up with absolutely nothing.
It wasn't just an absence. It was as if I'd gazed into an endless void—a dark abyss that stared right back at me.
In that moment, an ominous feeling swelled in my heart, warning me.
I immediately retracted my instincts with all my might.
Without realising it, my whole body had gone tense.
The hair on my arms standing on end, cold sweat beading on my back...
Thinking about it, maybe I was the one that went a bit overboard.
Although he's giving me this faint feeling of danger, it doesn't mean I should try to pry into his secrets.
That was my bad.
'If he doesn't bother me, I won't bother him'
Such a consensus was reached in my mind in an instant.
I can at least allowed to be curious, though. Right?
Since they'll have a duel, I can at least go and watch it.
Yep.
Let's do just that...
--- Akira ---
["What an irritating woman!"] Yui's frustrated voice cut sharply into my thoughts.
I stifled a chuckle. 'Now, now. Relax, Yui,' I said, trying to soothe her.
["But... she's really gone too far!"] Her voice was a mixture of irritation and indignation, clearly eager to continue her objections.
I shook my head slightly, keeping my tone steady, but cold. 'Just let it go. Trust me—she won't be a problem for us anymore.'
Unless she has negative intelligence.
After all, I don't want to get in conflicts with main characters. I have no reason to overly pursue it.
Just scare her a little, and she'll stop.
I want to believe she's not that unreasonable, based on my observations.
After all, when one stares at you, it's only right to take the opportunity to stare back.
If she pulls this kind of stunt again, though, that's another matter.
She huffed, clearly still ruffled, but her edge softened. ["Fine, if you're sure..."] she murmured, her tone shifting as she slowly let go of her annoyance.
'Thanks, Yui,' I added, feeling her calming down. 'Just focus on that work with the System insights. That's what really matters right now.'
Her silence was her answer as she settled back into her work.
Normally, she's the embodiment of cheerful restraint—kind, polite, almost impossible to ruffle.
I always felt she was too forgiving for her own good.
But I get why her reaction this time was so aggressive. I really do.
The instant Shiba Miyuki started probing for information, it was like I'd been swarmed by a cloud of mosquitoes, each one trying to siphon away something vital—quietly, persistently, maddeningly. Every nerve in me itched with the urge to swat them away.
A sharp thought crossed my mind: Don't you want to just squash those pests?
I did. In fact, the feeling was mutual.
It wasn't that Miyuki held any specific ill will. She probably wasn't even aware of how invasive it felt on my end. For her, it was as natural as breathing, something rooted so deeply that she acted on it without a second thought.
The real issue, though, wasn't entirely her. It had more to do with my… peculiar circumstances.
[The Authority of Adaptability is working]
[Magic System Compatibility: 50%]
[Your Authority of Balance has increased your innate aptitude towards Magic]
[Your Authority of Mana is growing]
[Your Authority of Limits has removed the bottlenecks of the current physique]
[Your [Perfect Mana Pathways]+ have grown]
[Inner Mana Elevation: 63%]
[The Authority of the Sword is faintly reacting...]
[Awakening Rate: 20% ➔ 20.2%]
At the moment, my sensitivity to magical fluctuations was at an all-time high.
This hyper-attunement was an unusual side effect of syncing with this world's Magic System—a heightened awareness so acute I could feel the magic particles in the air, weaving and merging with oxygen molecules, drifting over me like an invisible current.
My body, as a whole, was going through a profound change.
At least, that's what I could understand.
And there was no switching it off until the synchronization was complete and I could finally control it.
If I hadn't honed my mind to a certain level, I would've been driven insane ages ago.
Compared to the usual immense pain, immediate and direct, this was different.
The discomfort was subtle, creeping in like a snake stalking its prey. You don't even notice it until its fangs are already bared—by then, it's far too late.
Your mind would be forever damaged, and even if you achieved your goal, it wouldn't end up pretty.
Of course, Yui is experiencing the exact same thing. She's just as aware of the "mosquitoes" as I am, which explains why she's so irritated.
But either way, now is not the time to think about it, I guess.
A certain someone is waiting to get his ass kicked out of school, so how could I let him wait?
--- Author's Note ---
It's truly been a while since the last chap. How is my writing?
Is it still any good?
Honest opinions are appreciated.
Anyway.
I second Yui's words.
Miyuki annoying AF.
Either way, we're back for real!
Just give me some time, then I will also think about Patreon.
Here are my current ideas:
I am considering donating a small amount of the money I got and will get(?) from the patrons to associations related to the cause of my friend's death.
Of course, the rest will be used to give this novel some nice art drawn by someone. I am considering that too, and other things.
It may be a little bit selfish of me, but it feels like even if it's not much, at least I'm doing something, in my own way.