Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 03 - Nine Schools Competition (I) (48 page)

Modern magic also had magic that activated after a set delay, but the Magic Sequence must be "recorded" onto the object.
Once the delayed magic was cast, the target object would be under the influence of magic rewriting and interfere with the next magic cast on the target object.

"If that is the case, then the only possibility remaining is that something hidden in the water cast the magic — this is the conclusion Isori-senpai and I arrived at."

Tatsuya visually sought confirmation from Mikihiko and Mizuki, who both nodded in understanding.

"Still, having a living, breathing Magician submerge themselves in water sounds ridiculous.
Currently, neither modern magic nor Ancient Magic is able to accomplish this feat flawlessly."

This time, Tatsuya's words prompted Isori and Kanon to nod in agreement.

"If that's the case, a more suitable hypothesis is that 'something inhuman' cast magic while hiding in the waterway."

Isori and Kanon glanced at one another, mirroring each other's confusion.

After a while, Isori finally asked.

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Shiba-kun thinks this may be the work of Spirit Magic?"

Tatsuya nodded in response to Isori's words.

Magicians that use modern magic typically use psion surges to identify magic.

But SB, or Spiritual Beings, are primarily composed of pushions.
Pushions are supplements used to "move" the objects around — precisely like ordering spirits around — this was the current dominant theory.

It wasn't that Magicians couldn't identify pushions.

Yet, in ordinary circumstances, they couldn't identify them as readily as psions.

For example, even though the human senses could detect infrared rays as "warmth", there was no way to distinguish between colors the same way they could for visible light.

Magicians could use their senses to identify active pushions.

But had a very difficult time identifying inactive ones.

In other words, Magicians using modern magic couldn't detect dormant Spiritual Beings.

If they were using a Spiritual Being planted ahead of time — a type of delayed magic using Spiritual Beings, there was a high probability that they would elude the committee's detection.

"Yoshida is an expert on Spirit Magic and Shibata is especially sensitive towards pushion light."

"Hence why you called the two of them."

Tatsuya once again nodded towards Isori and turned to face Mikihiko.

"Mikihiko, I would like your expert opinion.
Is there a way for Spiritual Magic to delay activating for several hours and then selectively create a dip in the water's surface?"

"Yes."

Mikihiko immediately replied.

"Based on those conditions, all you would have to do is set the start of the second race as the primary condition, then someone's approach as the second condition and order the water spirit to create a wave or whirlpool.
Even if spirits are off the table, a shikigami can accomplish that too."

"Can you do it?"

"With enough time to prepare.
I cannot do that right this moment, but give me half a month to prepare and repeatedly enter the arena to make the arrangements, I should be able to."

"Would you need to infiltrate the arena the day before?"

"No need.
As long as I'm familiar with the lay of the land, I can use the ley lines to send the spirits, which is the point of investigating beforehand.
However.
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"?"

"Even if they managed to accomplish this, there's almost no power to speak of.
Spirits are empowered by the user's emotions and will, so if it was set several hours beforehand, I feel that the only thing lingering would be something like a practical joke at best."

"In other words?"

"Even if they could disrupt the water's surface, they couldn't use this method to create large enough waves to disrupt Watanabe-senpai's balance.
If the player from Seventh High didn't happen to lose control at the exact same time, this would be relegated to kid's play."

For some reason, Tatsuya gave a massive nod at Mikihiko's words.

"That's only under the assumption that it was an accident in the first place.
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"Ah?"

Mikihiko was unable to follow Tatsuya's cryptic words, but Tatsuya didn't immediately reply and instead turned his gaze on Mizuki.

"Mizuki, during Watanabe-senpai's incident, did you see the movements of the SB?"

".
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I was wearing my glasses at the time .
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Sorry."

"Please don't say that.
You're right, that's my mistake.
Mizuki, you don't have to apologize."

Tatsuya bowed his head towards the glum Mizuki and Miyuki also came over to comfort her.

"In regards to what we were just talking about.
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Tatsuya turned back to Mikihiko.

Yet Isori and Kanon both knew these words were also directed towards them.

"I feel that the loss of control from the player from Seventh High was not a pure coincidence.
Take a look at this."

Tatsuya brought Mikihiko in front of the monitor and restarted the model images.

He was also paying attention to Isori and Kanon, who were peeking around to take a look, and stopped the recording shortly before the accident occurred.

"The player from Seventh High would normally decelerate at this point."

Then proceeded to advance the recording frame by frame.

"But as everyone can see, she was actually continuing to build up speed."

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You're right, that is extremely odd."

"Indeed.
A Magician who would make such a fundamental mistake has no business being in the Nine Schools Competition."

Tatsuya nodded in agreement with Isori and Kanon's opinions, then returned the playback to normal speed.

"I suspect that the CAD the player from Seventh High was using had been tampered with."

The room was suffused with shock.

"This is the first major turn that requires deceleration along the entire route.
If the decelerating Activation Sequence was swapped for an accelerating Activation Sequence, an accident here is unavoidable.
Based on last year's results, it is well within predictable boundaries that Watanabe-senpai and the player from Seventh High would be neck to neck at this stage.
If my goal was to sabotage them, this would be the perfect opportunity to eliminate two favored candidates for First Place in one fell swoop."

"That sounds reasonable.
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But could they tamper with the CAD?
And if so, when would they do that?"

"Unless there's a traitor that snuck into Seventh High's technician team?"

Tatsuya slightly shook his head at Isori and Kanon's questions.

"Alas, we have no proof.
Even if we petitioned Seventh High to review their CADs, they are guaranteed to rebuff us.
Still, I think there's an opportunity to do so."

"So there really is a traitor?"

Tatsuya once more shook his head at Kanon's speculation, but this time he was noticeably slower.

"While there's no way to properly gauge this possibility.
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I think there's a much higher chance that there is a mole in the committee."

His words stopped there.

Isori, Kanon, and Mikihiko were all struck speechless.

They all wore skeptical expressions.

".
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But Onii-sama, assuming there is a mole on the committee, how and when would they tamper with the CADs?
Each school jealously guards their own competition-use CADs.
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Miyuki would never question Tatsuya's judgment.
She was only assuming her brother's hypothesis was true and asking for the next step in the puzzle.

Tatsuya did not reply directly, but told everyone a publicly known piece of information.

"All CADs are guaranteed to leave each school's control and be turned over to the committee once."

"Ah.
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Miyuki let out a gasp since she had never thought of this.
On top of that, she was the only one who gasped, since Isori, Kanon, Mikihiko, and Mizuki were all struck dumb.

"Still, there's no way of telling what their methods are, that is the truly puzzling area.
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Just in case, they could not let down their guard even for an instant.

Miyuki and Tatsuya, the former who was about to begin her competition and the latter who was responsible for calibrating CADs, carved those words into their hearts.

For the third day, First High took First Place in both "Icicle Destruction" contests, Second Place in Men's "Battle Board", and Third Place in Women's "Battle Board".

Third High took Second Place in both "Icicle Destruction" contests as well as First Place in both "Battle Board" contests, so the two schools were much closer than the day before.

Before the competition began, Mari had told Tatsuya that the Newcomers Division shouldn't have an impact on the final result.
In this case, she appeared to be mistaken.

Tatsuya meticulously examined the CADs for the players he was responsible for and prepared for tomorrow's Newcomers Division.
It was this moment Mayumi sent a message via terminal requesting his presence.

Bewildered, he paused his work and thought "What does she need me for at this hour?"
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As he headed for the conference room reserved for First High, he ran into Miyuki at the door.

"Did the President call for you too, Miyuki?"

"Yes, Onii-sama as well?"

Tatsuya initially considered that Isori and company would ask him to come and discuss countermeasures against future sabotage, but that wouldn't explain why Miyuki had also been summoned.

"Let's go inside."

"Yes."

There were some things that could only be discerned after careful thought, and some that couldn't be discerned no matter how much one thought about it.

If pondering posed no benefit, then taking action was the way to go.

As the ancients say, pointless pondering is time wasting.

"Excuse us."

Tatsuya didn't want to be mired in such tiresome thoughts — likewise, he didn't do so by any great principle, but at least he didn't needlessly worry himself before opening the door.

Mayumi, Suzune, and Katsuto were inside — as well as Mari, who should be in bed.

"Thanks for your hard work.
Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"No, I still need some time."

"Is that so.
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I'm sorry, I called Tatsuya-kun as well."

According to Mayumi's guilty words, the primary recipient of these words was Miyuki.

"Please, take a seat."

The siblings did so side by side.

"There's a small detail I would like to discuss with you two.
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Sorry, it's no small thing.

I asked the two of you to come to discuss something of vital importance."

It seemed like it had been ages since Mayumi's tone was so serious, causing Tatsuya to perk up a little.

"Rin-chan, can you explain?"

So she still uses "Rin-chan" even when in a serious mood, Tatsuya thought as he looked towards Suzune.

"I think you two are aware of the current standings."

This was obviously a rhetorical question on Suzune's part, but Tatsuya and Miyuki both nodded anyway.