Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Volume 4 - Ch 13

This chapter is updated by Novels.pl

The last day of the Nine Schools Competition dawned.

The only event slated for today was Monolith Code. The first match for the elimination round would begin at 9 AM, and the second match held at 10 AM. At 1 PM, the consolation match for Third Place would be held, followed by the final match at 2 PM.

The awards and closing ceremonies would begin at 3:30 PM, with the Nine Schools Competition officially coming to a close at 5 PM.

The competition officially ended at that time because there was still a banquet to be held at 7 PM.

Differing from the meet and greet before the opening ceremony, the banquet after the closing ceremony was the real opportunity for the schools to mingle and interact with one another.

Also, this banquet annually saw the birth of several couples in long distance relationships.

This was not only a chance for high school students to meet one another, but also an excellent opportunity to interact with famous figures in the magical community. Year 3 students especially took care to take advantage of these two areas as much as possible.

Yet, for the four schools that advanced to the elimination round, those details could wait until after the event.

None of the schools were in any hurry.

Everything that could be done had been done, so both the players and the auxiliaries were calmly waiting for the beginning of the competition.

First High's pavilion was no exception. Centered around Katsuto, who was calmly sitting there with his eyes closed, there were plenty of anxious individuals or those struggling to contain their excitement as players and members all waited for the summons to the first match.

There were the three players, Juumonji Katsuto, Tatsumi Koutarou, and Hattori Gyoubu along with the three technicians that accompanied them. Isori was also among their number.

Off to the side, the brass could be seen centered around the Student Council members like Mayumi, Mari, Suzune, and Azusa.

Kanon headed the Year 2 and 3 players.

Those that were unable to enter the pavilion waited eagerly in the supporting stands for the players to appear.

Nonetheless, regardless of where one cast their eyes, Tatsuya's figure remained elusive.

"Is it OK if you don't go to support them?"

"......There's still some time left."

Hearing Fujibayashi's question, Tatsuya gulped down his food and replied.

Based on his instructions last night, Tatsuya reported to Kazama's room after breakfast.

However, the owner of the room had disappeared for some secret rendezvous in the morning. While he was waiting, he sat down and accepted Fujibayashi's invitation to a second breakfast. He was a developing teenager with a ravenous appetite, so sandwiches with a few sweets were nothing for him.

Within the boundaries of decorum, they chatted as they gathered up the plates. At this time, Kazama returned with Sanada and Yanagi in tow. He returned a vague salute to Tatsuya and Fujibayashi, who both stood and saluted him, before waving them to take a seat. Kazama sat directly across from Tatsuya, Yanagi took a seat next to Fujibayashi, and Sanada grabbed a chair next to Tatsuya. (Tatsuya already heard from Fujibayashi that Yamanaka had already returned to Kasumigaura Base which had already been upgraded from station to base.)

"Good work last night."

After briefly exchanging greetings, Kazama spoke up.

"No, I should be the one thanking you. I apologize for troubling everyone with personal business."

"This is hardly a personal matter for you. Speaking of which, I was also attacked."

"Also, we obtained critical combat data last night. Beeline range roughly 1200 meters. It is very rare to obtain data for long range magic that successfully sniped human targets at this range. For someone like you who excels in extreme long distance precision attacks and OTH (over the horizon) sniping, this distance may not be satisfactory, but I am very pleased with this observation data."

Yanagi and Sanada both reassured Tatsuya when he stood up and bowed.

"Just so. Also, Internal Affairs and Public Safety were both exceptionally pleased with our gift last night. You successfully completed your mission, so don't worry if it was a little personal."

Accepting Tatsuya's salute, Kazama left it at that.

"......However, is the intel surrounding the leader of a criminal organization that valuable?"

Last night, he intentionally reached out to the criminals with a mocking tone despite the fact that this behavior ran against his personality because those were Kazama's orders.

"That's because this is no simple criminal organization."

"............"

"Tatsuya-kun, how familiar are you with the 'Sorcery Booster'?" At Tatsuya's wordless interrogation, Sanada opened his mouth.

"I've heard the name before. That is a breakthrough Magic Amplifier introduced by criminal organizations within the past few years. To be honest, I find this highly suspicious......"

"Magic Amplifiers do exist. On some level, referring to it as a 'breakthrough Magic Amplifier' is absolutely correct."

"Speaking of which, is it possible to amplify magic to that degree?"

While he didn't believe that this was the kind of situation where Sanada would discuss groundless rumors at length, Tatsuya still found it difficult to dispel the "dubious" first impression.

Even though Magic Sequences were a "signal" that included processes from the Magician that were ultimately sent to the target Eidos, they were not wholly unrelated to the amplification process.

However, the processes from the Magic Sequences shifted in the information dimension, so the signals from the Magic Sequence did not progress from the Magician to the Eidos directly.

The first question of the day...... originated from exactly where was the

Magic Sequence constructed by Magicians amplified.

"This is not amplification in the classical sense. Let me think......

Allow me to put it this way, this doesn't merely provide a blueprint for the Magic Sequence, it's a CAD that possesses a self-restoring blueprint built into the Magic Sequence that assists in the construction process. Through this, Magic Sequences of this scale are rendered possible by surpassing a Magician's original capacity."

"That...... Rather than calling it a 'Booster', the term 'Memory

Capacitor' may be closer to the mark."

"Possibly."

Maybe Tatsuya's comment hit the nail on the head, because Sanada burst into a chain of laughter.

"......It's hardly surprising if the terminology doesn't match its purpose.

No Head Dragon is one of the primary distributors of this Booster. This tool runs into a little trouble when procuring raw materials, since legal corporations are unable to manufacture these things. Even nations run a significant risk if this is brought to light. In reality, No Head Dragon monopolized the supply for Sorcery Boosters."

"Then, do we need the leader's intel to procure Sorcery Boosters?"

"Negative. We need the target's intel in order to permanently halt the production and distribution of these Boosters.

This is not something that should exist in the world in the first place. I would never use it, nor do I want anyone in the force to do so. Tatsuya-kun knows how the Induction Stone in the center of the CAD is produced, right?"

Induction Stones refer to the component that transforms psion waves into electric signals and vice versa. Tatsuya was bewildered at the abrupt change in conversation and nodded in assent.

"Induction Stones are created from a crystallization of neurons chemically synthesized from the molecular level. Since the differences in structure may impact the conversion ratio, the emphasis is placed on the structural composition rather than the physical characteristics of the neurons. That being said, currently there are no reports of successful developments of Induction Stones without relying on artificial materials."

Hearing Tatsuya's response, Sanada nodded in satisfaction.

"You are correct. However, the Booster's core contains an Induction Stone that is not forged from artificial neurons."

"Then what is it......"

"A human brain."

Sanada's answer silenced Tatsuya. "To be precise, it's a Magician's brain."

"......But when they used neurons from animals, the remaining psion particles in the brain should interfere with the user's ability to achieve induction. This should also be true when using a human brain."

The reason Tatsuya was struck speechless did not arise from the unethical nature of their discussion.

He was well versed in the cases at the dawn of CAD development where they conducted experiments on animals and humans.

The results from these experiments that blatantly ignored ethics, conscience, and beliefs established the technique for chemical synthesis of Induction Stones.

Nevertheless, No Head Dragon managed to overturn these conventional beliefs.

Tatsuya was astounded by this turn about.

"They are completely different from normal Induction Stones. Each Booster is specifically designed to use one type of magic, so the type of magic differs based on the specs for the Boosters. Still, scaling on some level could be achieved. Based on our estimates, remnant thoughts left over from the production process may play a role in altering the type of magic. By creating the same powerful emotions during the production process, similar Boosters can be created."

"......Such as introducing massive pain to the brain to provoke overwhelming fear, am I correct?"

"Most likely."

"......It's the same concept as curses."

"I agree. Boosters may have been born from the same basis as curses. Even though we use magic as weapons and added Magicians to the military hierarchy, our goal was to create a prototype unit rather than using Magicians as mere parts. I am a Magician as well. Along with Captain Sanada, Captain Yanagi, Lieutenant Fujibayashi, all units and personnel in the unit are basically Magicians. Generators are still tolerable, but creating and disseminating things like Boosters is absolutely unforgivable."

"Setting aside the emotional perspective of the problem, capacity enhancers like Sorcery Boosters also pose a threat to the military. Since the North American Intelligence Agency (NAIA) shares this view, they have already reached out to Internal Affairs. Mibu extends his thanks, Tatsuya."

Kazama supplied this final piece as the conversation drew to an end.

Once Tatsuya arrived at the spectator stands and began looking for an empty spot, a small block of ice came hurtling towards him from the front.

He frantically caught the ball of ice and, by the time he lowered his hand, his eyes caught Miyuki looking back at him.

Abandoning all pretense of not noticing her, Tatsuya obediently advanced to the front row where an empty seat waited for him.

"......Such a violent greeting."

"That's because Onii-sama pretended not to notice us!"

......Tatsuya had no rejoinder for that.

Well, the real reason he pretended not to notice was to avoid doing anything else that would draw attention to himself from the audience, but he clearly understood that this excuse would not fly with his sister.

Still, that reason was largely for Miyuki's benefit. Given the expressions on the faces of their peers and upperclassmen, this was most definitely not the case for them. Lukewarm expressions of pity would please no one.

"Oh, the players are coming."

"You were just in time, Tatsuya-kun."

The one who answered Tatsuya wasn't Miyuki, but Honoka who was sitting on her other side. Miyuki was busy putting on a smiling face to dispel the lukewarm gazes sent their way. In order to make up for the lost opportunity to speak, she edged closer to Tatsuya as she sat down.

The first match of the elimination round pitted First High against Ninth, coincidentally the same line up as the Newcomers Division.

Ninth High likely hoped to avenge their defeat here. All three players displayed high morale.

In comparison, First High's three players presented three different images.

Katsuto remained impassive, Tatsumi's thoughts remained a mystery, while Hattori wore a serious expression as he eyed the enemy team with a challenging glint in his eyes.

Their completely normal appearance brought on an aura of reassurance.

"Compared to us, they certainly give off a relaxing feel......

Such is how people are on another level."

"Nonsense! I never doubted that Onii-sama would triumph!"

"Your group performed admirably, Tatsuya-kun! You were all courageous and honorable in the extreme."

Tatsuya didn't mean anything in particular with his comment, but he was a little lost when they provoked immediate words of reassurance or encouragement.

Still, they kept their voices down since the match was about to begin in order to avoid attention, but that didn't guarantee they would be successful all the time. That's why they say watch what you say (?). Mindful of this, Tatsuya chased away these distractions from his mind and concentrated all his attention on the match.

Shizuku staring at him with a displeased expression may also have played a small part in that.

Unrelated to this drama, the match began.

The match took place in a Karst-like "Boulder" setting.

With the starting buzzer, Hattori emerged out of First High's territory.

With a liberal mix of Leaping Magic, he stormed towards the enemy territory with a speed that simply couldn't be done with pure legwork.

Ninth High's response was extremely sluggish.

Displaying high morale counted in their favor, but First High seized the initiative.

Seeing their blazing fervor, Ninth High probably planned to launch a preemptive strike.

However, with their opponent's unexpected charge, their delayed response was filled with doubt.

They debated over whether they should immediately take out the attacker and capture a numerical advantage.

Or, should they leave the retaliation to the defender and proceed towards the enemy territory as planned.

First High's objective was precisely to sow the seeds of doubt in their minds.

Hattori stopped halfway between the two areas and began to release magic towards the three players from Ninth High who were still dragging their feet.

With the rising air currents, white mist formed over the heads of the players from Ninth High. The mist swiftly coalesced and fell downwards as if unable to support its own weight.

Hail formed from dry ice crashed downwards.

ConvergenceReleaseMove Compound Systematic Magic "Dry Blizzard".

This was the basic form of the spell that Mayumi used during Speed Shooting.

This magic took the heat energy (latent heat) released when lowering carbon dioxide to solidifying temperature and turning solid and transformed it into the kinetic energy for dry ice pellets, so the higher the temperature, the greater the velocity. Released from the outer periphery of the defensive perimeter boulders provided no cover from dry ice pellets released directly overhead. Since they were all wearing protective helmets, ice blocks the size of the fingertip wouldn't cause any major injury, but multiple hits could lead to a mild concussion.

At the current rate, their inability to retaliate would lead to their demise, so one of the players from Ninth High spread out a magical protective barrier over their heads to protect them an imaginary obstruction that would reduce the speed of the descending particles to zero.

The shield formed by that player would only reduce the speed to zero once. After the particle came to a stop in the air, gravity would once again pull it down to the earth. The dry ice Hattori created was formed from freezing the surrounding air and causing the moisture to solidify so they would fall to the earth like a drizzle on top of the players from Ninth High and the surrounding boulders. Once the misty air absorbed the released carbon dioxide, this formed a continuous layer of fog.

Due to the boulders surrounding the immediate area, it was very difficult for the fog to migrate anywhere other than Ninth High's position.

Even though the fog wasn't thick enough to hinder visibility, having the entire body suffused in wet, cold air was certainly going to be unpleasant. Another player started venting the air current in hopes of dispelling the side effects of Dry Blizzard.

However, Hattori had already activated his next magic.

His spell used the friction caused by slightly vibrating the dust particles in the ground to alter the electrical current in the dirt, then amplifying and releasing the charge.

While one of the Year 1 students from Eighth High also attempted the same type of magic in a similar setting, the sheer strength and practiced motion of the same spell were like night and day.

A crescent shape seeming to trace Ninth High's magic defensive perimeter began to glow in an area that was roughly five meters wide.

Countless flashes of light intermixed with one another like a herd of small snakes swarming forward.

Regardless of whether it was the ground mixed with sand, the loosely growing grass, or even the rolling stones, anything covered by the fog of carbon dioxide became charged by the moisture.

The electric snake outside the magic defense barrier ignored the magic and dove straight for the player from Ninth High.

Compound Magic, "Slithering Sanders".

Compound Magics are not simply magics that have multiple spells woven into one Magic Sequence. Rather, it is a combination of the effects of multiple magics where the aggregate whole provides a greater effect than the sum of its parts.

Hattori was not renowned for using exceptionally strong magic, unparalleled processing speed, or multi-casting. Instead, Hattori was an incredibly versatile Magician who could stably choose from an assortment of magic to fit any scenario; herein lay his advantage.

With so many different assortments at his disposal, Compound Magic greatly benefited from his versatility, and was a perfect method to bring out Hattori's potential.

One of the three players from Ninth High leaped into the air to escape the electric current.

Unfortunately, the players responsible for the defensive barrier overhead and venting the air currents were half a beat slow in switching to Leaping Magic.

The electric light ensnared the players' feet.

Even though the protective boots were insulated, the protective vest itself was not. (High insulation would hamper air permeability.)

The fog that was inundated with carbon dioxide clung to the players' bodies.

The player who was wielding wind magic was able to quickly switch targets and sought to use the wind to blow away the moisture in order to lessen the blow. Unfortunately, his compatriot who was holding the magic defense barrier wasn't so fortunate and suffered a direct hit from "Slithering Sanders".

Next to the player who collapsed on the ground, his companion fell to one knee.

He gave up on his immobile leg and maintained this position to wield his CAD.

Someone cried out in pain in the air.

The player who had leaped into the air to avoid the electric attack was struck by an invisible hammer and crashed back to earth.

Tatsumi Koutarou, who used Single Systematic Magic but specialized in interference strength, had cast Speed-Type Magic on him. By instantly applying downwards gravitational pull, the opposing player immediately hit the deck.

At the same time, the player from Ninth High activated Convergence Magic.

It was unknown whether he was unaware of his companion's predicament or whether this was as expected of a team that advanced to the elimination round.

Hattori was the target of the compressed air pellets being fired. Besides special circumstances like being underwater or in a vacuum, air existed in almost every scenario, hence its combat application was a popular choice.

Thanks to the rules limiting attack options and destructive power, Monolith Code largely favored compressed air pellet attacks.

The highly compressed air pellets that formed outside of Hattori's defensive perimeter shattered into pieces against an invisible wall that materialized before Hattori.

Hattori was not the cause of that.

That was Katsuto casting "Reflector" from 400 meters behind him.

This Area of Effect Magic ignored solids, fluids, and gases and created a force field that reversed motion vectors.

Compared to normal Targeting Magic, Area of Effect Magic was even more challenging.

The difficulty comes blurring of the lines.

The difference between changing a target's properties and the properties of an empty space was practically nonexistent. The difficulty arises when trying to differentiate between which areas needed to be rewritten and which areas cannot be.

For targets such as walls, ceilings and railings, the partitions can be seen easily. However, trying to create a distinction in the outdoors for a special location was many times more difficult.

Still, if this was offensive magic, the difficulty can be lessened by setting targeting parameters within the Activation Sequence.

On the other hand, defensive magic was restricted in that it had to fulfill all the conditions without knowing the nature and distance of enemy attacks as well as having limits on area, volume, and shape.

Such as a shield to protect yourself. Or a wall to defend your teammates.

By setting the Magician as the origin, a respective distance could be plotted to the target.

Generally, this was as far as one got.

However, Katsuto set Hattori as the protective target in an outdoor setting with no reference points without the need for supporting tools. He had created a perfect "Reflector" from 400 meters out.

This was an outstanding spatial awareness.

The Juumonji Family took the next step to hone their natural talents in spatial awareness. Their ability to wield multiple types of Area of Effect defensive magic has earned them the title "Stonewall".

Hattori activated his next magic.

Against the attacks from Ninth High, he didn't even bother to defend himself.

The construction of this Magic Sequence was wholly dependent on Katsuto's unquestionable ability to defend him from enemy attack.

The dust on the ground took to the skies.

Sand was sent spiraling into the air by the wind.

Ten meters ahead of Hattori, the dust storm grew in strength and speed as it advanced upon the opposing player before falling upon him in fury.

SpeedConvergence Compound Magic, "Linear Sandstorm".

With the first dust particle raised into the air as the center, this Area of Effect offensive magic constructed layers and layers of complexity around the center as it spun around.

The converging sandstorm knocked the player from Ninth High to the floor.

"That match was at an incredibly high level......"

Tatsuya used the ending signal as a BGM and said in exhilaration. The match itself was a completely one-sided affair.

His comment on level was in regards to the magic used as well as its application.

Especially Hattori, whose skillful use of magic techniques was enough to prompt him to hope "Miyuki learns a thing or two from him". (He didn't say "he could learn something", because he had arrived at the conclusion that he was incapable of imitating that level of skill.)

Tatsuya never overly underestimated Hattori. Even though he had defeated the man in a match, that was only because he seized the initiative and got under his guard. Tatsuya recognized this from a completely objective perspective.

Compared to Magic Power, his magic application was even more skillful. Tatsuya already had an inkling of this given his many opportunities to see Hattori in action.

Still, that earlier display of might honestly exceeded his expectations. (I am still a long ways off from getting an accurate read on others......)

"Next match will be the finals."

Utterly ignorant of Tatsuya's mental struggles, Honoka innocently opened up.

For her, it was only natural that the Student Council Vice President boasted great skill.

The word "natural" shook Tatsuya out of his reverie.

Isn't it only natural to not read others accurately? He was only a high school student after all.

Tatsuya's mental status was still stuck in his persona as the Special Lieutenant from the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion from last night and it was only now that he reverted to the high school student Shiba Tatsuya.

"The finals begin at 1 PM, and it's a little early for lunch......"

"Will you take us for a few cold drinks, Onii-sama?"

"Agreed. Ice cream would be even better."

Hearing Miyuki's suggestion, Shizuku swiftly assented.

He had no duties as a technician today.

Nor did he have to worry about any hindrances from any criminal organizations.

Occasionally, it wasn't bad to indulge in the life of a high school student Tatsuya thought and made his decision.

"I saw a concession truck earlier, would that be acceptable?"

"Yes, let's go!"

Tatsuya tossed aside any thoughts regarding how others would see one young man leading three beautiful young ladies and led Miyuki and company to the ice cream concession area.

The finals for Monolith Code was set for the "Valley".

In order to pass along the board's decision, Mayumi visited the players' resting area.

Surely a simple matter like passing the word along didn't necessitate the Student Council President's appearance.

In reality, if that's all there was, Mayumi probably wouldn't show up in person.

"Juumonji-kun, are you here?"

After speaking into the intercom near the entrance, someone immediately replied with "Right away".

Shortly afterwards, Katsuto appeared wearing a vest and protective leggings as he used his head to raise the cloth hanging over the doorway.

"Apologies for my wardrobe."

"Don't worry. It's not like you're indecent." Katsuto was covered in the scent of alcohol. And not because he was drinking.

That must be because his deodorant contained alcoholic content. He delayed coming out immediately probably to spare Mayumi the scent of sweat clinging to him. While he wasn't a feminist of any sort, he was undeniably a gentleman. It was just like Katsuto to notice all the small details without mentioning anything aloud, Mayumi thought.

"So, what is it?"

Mayumi had set aside her official business and was busy ruminating over nonsensical things when Katsuto's question shook her back to reality.

"The setting for the finals has been decided. Can you come with me for a minute?"

If this was all there was, one sentence would have been sufficient.

Yet, Katsuto didn't ask "why" or "what for" as he quietly followed behind Mayumi.

Mayumi led Katsuto to the same room where she spoke with Tatsuya three days ago.

Just like three days ago, she erected a soundproof barrier and started speaking quietly with the already seated Katsuto.

"Father sent a coded missive. Apparently, this is the directive from the clan meeting."

"Ho?"

"Looks like Juumonji-kun hasn't received it yet, right?"

"Correct."

Though Katsuto's response was unexpected, but coded missives from the clan meetings generally took a considerable time alone to decipher. The Juumonji Family must have felt that even though this was the break time between matches, the captain being absent for a long period of time would rouse suspicion. That was Mayumi's take on the situation.

Mayumi and Katsuto were on a different footing than the other members on the team.

This difference was not because they were the Student Council President and Club Group Leader, but because their social standing was inherently different.

Mayumi was a direct descendant of one of the current Ten Master Clans.

Katsuto's standing was even more unique.

Not only was he a direct descendant, but, unlike Mayumi, he was also the heir of the Juumonji Family.

Among all the students in the Nine Schools Competition, only Masaki could stand on equal footing with Katsuto.

"Two days ago, didn't Tatsuya-kun defeat Ichijou-kun?"

"......So what?"

Katsuto's question wasn't "why are you bring this up", but "so what". Nay, in reality his question was a mere formality.

"The Ten Master Clans stand at the pinnacle of this country's

Magicians.

Magicians who bear the name of the Ten Master Clans must be the strongest Magicians in the country."

Mayumi's voice contained an ironic tone. The ideas she was expressing were not her own, but came from her father, and by extension were the "doctrine" handed down by the clan meeting. She probably believed otherwise, but right now the clan meeting's "doctrine" overrode her own personal philosophy.

"Even a high school game cannot allow people to suspect that the power of the Ten Master Clans is anything but absolute. That's probably what they're driving at."

"But, that match can't simply be dismissed as fun and games." The rebuttal was only words, but the tone was relaxed and light.

"In other words, the clan meeting asked for a match to aggrandize the might of the Ten Master Clans, did I get that right?"

"Yes......

I just don't want to force such a ridiculous burden onto

Juumonji-kun."

"Nay......

Rather, this is a duty that naturally falls to the next heir of the

Juumonji Family like myself. Sorry for causing you so much worry."

"That's nothing really......"

Likely due to her terrible mood, Mayumi rarely cut loose with a barrage of sincere grousing.

"Seriously, this is ludicrous...... Even if Tatsuya-kun was a side branch, so long as he had the bloodline of the Ten Master Clans, then he wouldn't be embroiled in this third-rate farce......"

Katsuto didn't comment on Mayumi's complaints.

"Just leave it to me."

He didn't show any outward sign of emotion as he calmly replied.

First High was against Third High for the Monolith Code finals.

The back stories behind this match up were legion, to the point that it could even be called a "fateful showdown", but the finals were even more one-sided than the semifinals.

Maybe it was just karma.

Everything Masaki did to Eighth High in the Newcomers Division was returned with interest.

The setting for this match was the "Valley".

From the get go, anything that utilized the terrain, such as flying icicles, falling rocks, or even boiling spray, was sent hurtling towards Katsuto in an endless stream.

However, Katsuto's barrier reflected all the attacks. Every motion vector was reversed.

Electromagnetic waves (including light) were refracted. Molecular oscillation was adjusted back to a stable value. Psion intrusion was denied.

All attacks were obstructed by the multi-layered defensive barrier. Nothing could stop Katsuto's advance.

Multi-layer Move-Type Defensive Magic "Phalanx".

This magic, while putting the real value of the Magicians from the Juumonji Family on full display, was not simply a sustained magic barrier, but a multi-layered barrier that continuously refreshed itself.

This was just like a dense formation of heavy infantry that marched as one to increase the group's defensive power and then translate that power into offense.

Once the foremost rank of soldiers fell, the next rank would immediately fill in and maintain the defense. This magic inherited the name from that ancient formation and displayed defensive prowess and suffocating pressure worthy of its lofty name.

Katsuto was situated in a narrow arena as he steadily advanced step by step towards the enemy's position.

The players from Third High couldn't ignore or avoid him.

If they let up on the attack, surely they would be instantly engulfed by a decisive attack......

Each step increased the pressure a little more, forcing them to cling onto that belief and urged them to press the assault.

Though they were unable to penetrate that wall, they should still have exhausted the defender somewhat. Yet compared to the three panting players from Third High, there was nary a sign of fatigue on Katsuto's part.

When there were only a paltry 10 meters or so between the two sides, Katsuto finally came to a stop.

He stopped his slow, plodding advance,

And bunched all his energy together to kick off the floor.

A boulder-like body flew through the air while parallel to the ground.

He cast SpeedMove Magic on himself, then adopted a shoulder tackle position as he crashed into the enemy players. His impermeable barrier remained active the entire time.

One of the players from Third High was sent flying by the sudden impact against this indomitable barrier.

Katsuto's gigantic frame didn't stop for even a second before changing course for the next enemy.

Before this insurmountable barrier and the overwhelming interference strength attached to it, magical defenses and momentum shifting became meaningless.

The players from Third High were helplessly smashed aside as the Monolith Code finals drew to a close.

This complete victory served to crown First High's overall victory with a fresh crown of laurels.

Seeing Katsuto raise his hands in response to the applause, Tatsuya and his friends also applauded, but were all unable to speak.

Dominant was no longer sufficient to describe what just happened. Besides terrifying and tremendous, no other words would suffice.

The tactic itself was simple.

Simple enough to describe this as a trial by brute force. Yet that magic was not "simply" brute force.

He continuously cycled between the Four Great Systems and Eight Major Types at irregular intervals while creating new barriers an awe-inspiring "difficult" brute force.

"Amazing......

So that's the Juumonji Family's 'Phalanx', eh......"

Besides ordinary expressions, even Miyuki had nothing left to say. This showed that she was shocked by what just happened.

He could understand that sentiment. But disagreed with her words.

"No......

I doubt that's the original 'Phalanx'."

Multi-layered Defensive Magic "Phalanx" was practically another name for the Juumonji Family.

However, most people never got a chance to catch a glimpse of this magic.

That's because, in general, there was no need to create a barrier that defended against all major systems and types of magic.

Under the condition that multiple Magicians were attacking the same target, more attacks would lead to an increase in the variability in the types of attack magic and increase the risk for magic interference. All of this was well known.

It wasn't that Tatsuya had beheld this magic before.

In the earlier match, the multi-layered barrier that Katsuto cast did include magic from all systems and types of magic.

That truly was "Phalanx".

Still, Tatsuya wasn't able to accept this conjecture so easily.

"That final attack......

It's hard to imagine that was the original purpose of the 'Phalanx'."

Rather than calling this a leap of logic, this was closer to his intuition. Even if he believed that the real Phalanx was reserved for something far more terrifying.

"If Onii-sama says so, then that must be how it is. In that case......

Juumonji-senpai certainly has an intimidating power." Tatsuya agreed.

While he was clapping in appreciation, Tatsuya suddenly felt Katsuto's eyes sweep over him.

Katsuto raised his fist to the heavens and basked in his victory.

Tatsuya saw that, for an instant, Katsuto's gaze matched his own and, in that instant, he revealed a wide smile.

I am stronger than you that was the declaration Tatsuya read from Katsuto's eyes.

The grace of kings that forced one to their knees without resorting to brute force.

But at the end of the day, that was only political sophistry.

Before battle was even joined, the awesome might of absolute terror that forced their opponents to abandon their swords and any hope of resistance was the true mark of kings.

Katsuto, he who returned the cheers of victory, understood the value of that power and how to utilize it. He carried the majesty of a monarch.