The following morning before school, Tatsuya arrived at Yakumo's temple with Miyuki in tow. Both were dressed for their usual morning training, though Tatsuya had sent word the previous night that they wished to cancel the session to discuss a certain matter. However, the moment they stepped through the temple gates, a swarm of disciples lunged at Tatsuya.
Tatsuya met the assault without a trace of annoyance. He had expected as much—it was precisely why he had worn his training gear. Yet, there was no denying he was pressed for time. The subject he needed to discuss today was not the sort that could be settled with a quick word. Consequently, he neutralized Yakumo's students in record time, which is to say, he beat them into submission without mercy.
Yakumo sat on the steps of the monk's quarters, watching the spectacle. With Miyuki following closely behind him, Tatsuya approached the master.
"Good morning, Master," Tatsuya said.
"Good morning, Sensei," Miyuki added.
"Ah, good morning. Well then, shall we take this inside?"
Yakumo rose from the steps and led them into the building. Tatsuya and Miyuki followed, their expressions somewhat grim. As soon as Miyuki stepped in behind her brother, the door slid shut automatically. There had been no trace of Psion fluctuations, suggesting the mechanism was either a high-tech automated system or, more likely, operated manually by a disciple waiting outside.
"Is this a barrier?" Tatsuya asked.
"We're having a private talk, after all," Yakumo replied casually.
"Miyuki, if you would."
"Certainly, Brother."
Picking up on Tatsuya's intent instantly, Miyuki constructed a secondary barrier designed to completely intercept all electromagnetic and acoustic waves.
"My, how thorough," Yakumo remarked with a wry smile. It seemed his own barrier was more a matter of habit for sensitive conversations than a literal seal.
"Master, I apologize for bringing such a troublesome matter to your doorstep," Tatsuya began.
"Kudou has certainly dreamt up something dangerous," Yakumo said, his tone turning serious. "I don't need to tell you two that the Steeplechase is a perilous enough event as it is."
"So, you feel the same way, Sensei," Miyuki said. Her voice trembled slightly—not with fear, but with a fierce, suppressed indignation that felt like magma vibrating deep underground.
"To use such a dangerous competition as a performance test for a new weapon… it makes one question their sanity," Yakumo continued.
"Master, were you already aware of the experiment the Kudou family is planning? For instance, the true nature of this new weapon?"
"I've heard the code name 'P-Weapon,' but that's as far as my information goes. Unfortunately, the specifics remain a mystery."
"Even you cannot find them, Sensei?" Miyuki asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. To her, the idea of Yakumo failing to uncover a secret was almost inconceivable. She had momentarily forgotten that Yakumo had been unable to uncover her and Tatsuya's own true identities until Tatsuya became his pupil.
"Not yet. I suspect Major Kazama knows, though."
"Are you suggesting the Major is suppressing the information?" Tatsuya asked.
"That's not quite accurate. He simply has no obligation to share it with us. In any case, until we know the contents of the test Kudou intends to run, we can't take any concrete countermeasures…"
Yakumo sighed as if complaining, but his eyes flashed with a predatory, challenging light. It was the look of a man who took pride in the fact that he would eventually uncover the P-Weapon's identity.
"So, we begin with an investigation?"
"Precisely."
Regardless of Yakumo's personal feelings on the matter, Tatsuya couldn't argue with his logic. Without knowing the enemy's specific goals, they couldn't form a strategy. Tatsuya nodded in agreement, and Yakumo revealed their next destination.
"It looks like I'll need to head to Nara."
"The old Ninth Institute."
"A place with a long, tangled history for people like us."
Tatsuya was well aware of the long-standing friction between traditional magic users and those associated with the "Numbers" regarding the Ninth Institute. He wondered, with a touch of cynicism, if that old grudge was why Yakumo seemed uncharacteristically motivated to help.
By lunch break on July 5th—three days after the notification of the new Nine Schools Competition regulations—Tatsuya was in the Student Council Room, scanning through the data of First High's students.
A part of him felt the absurdity of focusing on schoolwork during such a crisis, but the "overt" preparations for the competition had reached an emergency status of their own. He had decided to leave the "covert" side of the situation entirely to Yakumo during the weekdays so he could focus on the surface-level issues.
Tatsuya, the other Student Council members, and Hattori—the head of the Club Management Group—were reviewing a compilation of practical exam scores. Originally intended for the standard player selection, the comprehensive data was now being repurposed to find candidates for the new events.
"I think for Ice Pillars Break, Mirage Bat, and Monolith Code, we only need to adjust for overlapping entries. What do you think?" Hattori asked.
"I agree," Tatsuya replied. "However, for the official Pillars Break matches, we'll need to decide on the solo and pair assignments."
"For the girls' side, how about Shiba-san for Solo, and Chiyoda and Kitayama for the Pair?" Hattori suggested.
"And the boys?"
"There's almost no difference in skill among the three male candidates," Hattori noted. "We should have them practice in pairs and decide based on their chemistry."
"Agreed."
Despite the entire Student Council being present, the conversation flowed almost exclusively between Hattori and Tatsuya. It wasn't that the others were excluded; rather, everyone felt the matter was in the best possible hands.
"For Roar and Gunner, I think we should pick from the candidate pools for Speed Shooting and Battle Board," Hattori said.
"That works for the pairs," Tatsuya countered, "but the Solo division requires a very high level of multi-casting skill. We should make that a priority in our selection."
"I see. In that case, which do you think is more vital: marksmanship or boating technique?"
"The boats in Roar and Gunner are more stable than the boards in Battle Board," Tatsuya explained. "Therefore, we should prioritize the ability to maintain accuracy while in motion."
"Then the relevant clubs would be the SS Board Biathlon Club, the Hunting Club, and…"
The re-selection process—the entire purpose of the meeting—proceeded at a brisk pace through the dialogue between Hattori and Tatsuya. By the time it was over, Azusa, the Student Council President, had finished the meeting without having to utter a single word.
Thanks to the earnest Hattori and the hyper-competent Tatsuya, the restructuring of the Nine Schools Competition roster was completed in record time.
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