The Untouchable of Magic High School – A New God Enters the Game

Inside First High's tent, Kana and Mika watched the Speed Shooting event. Assigned to security after last night's intruder incident, their numbers were bolstered. Kana's "Eye" and Mika's ability to pierce concealment or perception-blocking magic made them ideal for the task.

Mika felt the competition had leveled up since last year, but Kana sighed.

"What's wrong, Kana-nee? Mayumin's in top form," Mika said.

"I'd like her to at least unleash 'Magic Bullet' in multiple directions for a quick finish. Is that too much?" Kana replied.

"The Saegusa can do that, sure," Mika said, "but it'd crush everyone. Like racing an F1 car in a kart race."

Both had valid points. Rin, arriving with two paper cups of cold tea, offered them to the sisters.

"Thanks," Kana said.

"Sorry, Rin-chan," Mika added, sipping.

Rin turned to Kana. "How's the president doing, Kana-senpai?"

"I got carried away back then," Kana admitted. "But calling her a world-class precision shooter…"

"Don't compare her to Yugen," Mika interjected. "He's insane."

Rin tilted her head at Yugen's name. "What did Yugen-kun do?"

Mika grinned. "Rin-chan, could Mayumin hit a pencil lead on Fuji's peak from here?"

"No idea without asking her," Rin replied.

The venue was 13 kilometers from Fuji's summit. Such a shot, even with magic, demanded extraordinary perception. Yet, Mika implied Yugen could do it.

"Two years ago, at New Year's, Mika, on Fuji's peak, taunted Yugen at the Mitsuya estate via phone. His magic hit her head," Kana explained.

"Lightly, no harm," Mika added. "But I learned not to piss him off."

"Wait," Rin said. "That's beyond insane."

The Mitsuya estate in Atsugi, Kanagawa, was over 70 kilometers from Fuji. Hitting Mika's head from there wasn't just world-class—it marked Yugen as a peerless precision shooter.

"Without a CAD, I'm capped at 15 kilometers," Kana said. "Shizuru-neesan could hit 50 at full power."

"I'm at 5," Mika said. "Rin-chan, you look stunned."

"I'm fine," Rin said, inwardly sighing. Yugen was absurd, but so were these two. At least no one else was in the tent's depths.

Battle Board, a race on a 165 cm long, 51 cm wide spindle-shaped board through an artificial watercourse, relied on magic for propulsion. Attacking opponents was forbidden, but interfering via the water's surface was allowed. Originally a naval mage training exercise, the course lacked standard specs, deemed too niche for public use. The 3-kilometer Nine Schools course required three laps, demanding speed, pacing, and balance through straights, curves, and slopes.

Qualifiers had four per race, six races, with only the winner advancing. Semifinals used three per race, with finals pitting semifinal winners and a third-place match for runners-up.

Boards hit over 30 knots—55 to 60 km/h—enduring air resistance without windshields, draining stamina.

Honoka, competing in rookie Battle Board, trained under Tatsuya's regimen, with Azusa as her engineer due to Ice Pillars Break overlap.

"Honoka, stamina holding up?" Tatsuya asked.

"Fine. I kept up the training," she replied.

Before the competition, Tatsuya had advised Honoka to bolster her physical stamina alongside magic. To her, his casual concern, post-April's incident, was heartfelt, and she followed it diligently.

But then it escalated. Via Shizuku, Honoka begged Yugen for a training plan, reluctant to burden Tatsuya. Shizuku joined her request, and Yugen agreed, crafting a regimen for core and inner muscle strength, leveraging Honoka's biathlon club experience. As an "Elements" clan member, Honoka shone through reliance on others, so Yugen tailored it to meet Tatsuya's expectations.

He also asked Shizuku to train alongside her, as friends and clubmates, fostering mutual growth. Shizuku later quipped her chest grew slightly but couldn't match Honoka's, leaving Yugen speechless. Honoka's figure was enviable, but Yugen valued inner qualities over looks, his romantic views slightly jaded.

"Honoka's gotten muscular," Miyuki teased.

"Stop, Miyuki! I'm not aiming for macho!" Honoka protested, blushing as Tatsuya chuckled.

"Your phrasing was funny," Shizuku said.

"Even you, Shizuku!" Honoka pouted. "I'm the odd one out. You two get Tatsuya for both events."

"I'm handling Mirage Bat adjustments too," Tatsuya said.

"I helped with practice and strategy," he added. "You're not left out."

Tatsuya faltered as Honoka sulked. Miyuki, Shizuku, and Mizuki pounced.

"Honoka's not saying that," Mizuki said.

"You're too dense, Onii-sama," Miyuki added.

"Clueless?" Shizuku quipped.

Erika grinned. "Tatsuya's weak spot?"

"Study maidenly hearts," Touya said.

"Spoken like a guy with a girlfriend," Yugen teased.

Tatsuya shot back, "You're no different, Yugen."

"Don't drag me in!" Yugen groaned as Miyuki and Shizuku gripped his shoulders. "Stop pinching!"

"It's fair," Miyuki said.

"They'll multiply if unchecked," Shizuku added.

Yugen sighed, caught in their rivalry or conspiracy. Glancing at Mikihiko or Leo offered no escape; Touya would only roast him.

"Teach Tatsuya maidenly hearts till the race?" Leo suggested.

"Easy enough," Touya said.

Tatsuya, and Yugen by extension, endured Erika's jab, learning "maidenly hearts" from Touya, with Miyuki's icy smile ensuring compliance.

As the women's Battle Board third race began, Erika's sour mood stood out. Yugen, freed, spoke up. "Still not over it?"

"Not that easy," Erika muttered.

Her ire stemmed from Mari, in the race, dating her brother. Erika had once challenged Mari, lost spectacularly, and resented their relationship's spark.

"You know why," Yugen said. "The day we got student council and Tatsuya got disciplinary committee?"

"You set up the chairman's boyfriend?" Leo asked.

"You tipped off Tsugu-niisama?" Erika hissed, mindful of the crowd.

Yugen had advised Mari's boyfriend, tied to the Joushima, unable to refuse. "He asked seriously."

"Tsugu-niisama's awesome?" Mizuki asked.

"She avoids family talk," Yugen said. "Erika's mad because her beloved brother's dating Chairman Watanabe—Chiba Naotsugu."

Erika held back, knowing Yugen, a New Shadow Style swordsmanship master, had bested Naotsugu, a Chiba Blade master, making him untouchable.

"You're secretly mean," Erika said. "Siscon."

"Rude," Yugen shot back. "I yield to those I respect, bra-con."

Their jabs were playful, mutual understanding preventing escalation. Leo's tactlessness could've sparked worse.

Erika had visited the Mitsuya estate, learning Shina was Yugen's sister. Her "siscon" jab reflected Shina's affection and Yugen's doting, though some mistook it for Miyuki.

"Into older women?" Mizuki teased.

"Gross misread," Yugen said. "No lust for blood relatives. Race is starting."

"Escaping," Erika muttered.

Yugen vowed to needle Erika later via Naotsugu or Mari. Mari stood poised on her board, her balance queenly. Her name drew "Lady Mari" cheers from female fans, answered with a wave.

"No surprise, she's popular," Touya said.

"She's cool," Mizuki agreed.

Yet Mari resisted being called "big sis," showed a girlish side with her boyfriend, and faced his sister's glares. Yugen wondered how fans would react but kept quiet, avoiding her sword practice wrath.