A/N: Reminder—this is a parody of the anime and is story-flipped, not just gender-bent.
Chapter 2
Masaki and Kichijouji stood against the wall at the side of the stadium and watched Shiba Tatsuya's team competing in the Monolith Code.
"So let me get this straight," Kichijouji drawled. "First High loses their team by a fault not their own. Then they get to replace their team—okay, fine—but with three people who weren't even signed up for the competition and when they still have boys who haven't participated in two events. How is this fair, exactly?" He frowned up at Masaki. "Never mind. I don't feel bad for Shiba. I just want him out of my way."
Masaki laughed, but she quickly grew serious. "So, how would you defeat him, Jouji?"
"First and foremost, I am not going to say the words 'My victory is assured.' Because if I do, I'll lose immediately." Kichijouji frowned at the huge screen on the blimp, watching Tatsuya blow away a boy's spell. "That's Gram Demolition!" He stared in horror. "Okay, I wasn't expecting that. Close quarters combat is definitely out of the question. That spell is short-range, but other than that, it has no drawbacks." He peered up at Masaki. "What I really need is you. Why aren't girls allowed to participate in Monolith Code?"
Masaki shrugged. "Is that a serious question?"
"Yes." Kichijouji crossed his arms as well. "We can't compete without three participants, and Iga-kun isn't going to be released from the hospital for another two days. It turns out that his leg has a compound fracture." He glared at the blimp's screen. "And the committee wanted to disqualify us! The only reason they didn't is because Iga-kun's injury didn't happen during Monolith Code." He paused. The loss of my teammate for Monolith Code is oddly similar to the way students from First High keep getting hurt. What is the deal here?
"So gracious of them," Masaki drawled sarcastically.
Kichijouji frowned. "The committee said we had to choose a boy off our roster who doesn't have two events already. But I want you. After all, Shiba Miyuki has been bumped up to the regular division for Mirage Bat—again, due to a student's injury. And since you don't get to compete against her in Mirage Bat, we don't have to worry about having our best girl in that event now. So I say, if First High gets to shift around all their people in order to best suit their needs, we should get to also."
"All right. I'll petition to get myself added to your team." Masaki slanted a grim smile at Kichijouji. "These events were created by sexist old farts who want to see girls in pretty dresses and boys play war games. We'll call them on their attitude. And as long as we cite my combat experience, they should let me in."
Kichijouji nodded. "All right. But you'll have to throw your clan's weight around, too. Word has it that that's how First High did it. Jumonji Katsou went in and used his power as the acting head of his clan to talk the committee into what he wanted. As much as you hate pulling rank, I think you're going to have to. After all, we'll be setting the precedent of the first female Monolith Code player." He snorted. "Of course, then again, First High just set the precedents for replacing an entire team, using unregistered players, using course two students, and using one of their engineering staff. Surely we can squeak past." He threw up both hands. "Oh, no! I implied we would win this fight. Dammit!" He held up his hands toward the sky. "I take it back! I take it back!"
Masaki shook her head, smiling. "Relax. We're going up against The Shiba Tatsuya, who is a verified genius. We could just as easily say we have zero chance of winning. But I'll pull rank and get in anyway."
Kichijouji did relax. "Right. That's fair enough. Just watch out for his traps, and maybe we at least won't make fools out of ourselves. I can't shake the feeling he has live combat experience. More than anything, you can expect him to be a genius strategist. Well, and also a genius at programming his own CAD. Okay, well, also he was moving so fast in this match he probably has mastered ninjustu. Oh, wait. He can also use Gram Demolition, and no one's ever seen that before. Oh yeah, and I heard he wrote the CAD program for the girl in the Speed Shooting event—you know, the spell that's being inducted by Magic University as a new type of magic—so apparently he can also write new spells." He sighed. "Okay, so he's amazing. So we're doomed." He smiled at Masaki. "But I'm not going down without a fight."
Masaki took Kichijouji's hand and squeezed it. "We're going to fight together for the very first time. That's special enough to bear losing."
"Agreed," Kichijouji said, a happy blush tingling his cheeks. She clasped my hand again! At this point, he felt like he could face anything.
On the open plains stage, Kichijouji stood by Masaki, both of them suited up and helmets on. A massive crowd had turned out—all of First High's attendees, all of Third High's, plus a large sample of others there to see the first female Monolith Code contestant face off with the underdog genius. On top of that, there was general buzz about the Crimson Princess and Cardinal George paired up to fight.
Kichijouji glared at Tatsuya's teammates, who were wearing weird cloaks. "Who would have thought he had another trick up his sleeve?" His brow furrowed. "It's true that I can't use Invisible Bullet if I can't see the target, but cloth alone won't stop it. What's his angle?"
"He's the same person who writes new magic, remember?" Masaki murmured. "Assume those cloaks are dangerous. No, assume they're disastrous and do something like bolster the power of the magicians wearing them. That would give them an advantage over us. Don't go in. We need to change our strategy now."
Kichijouji had sixty seconds to brainstorm a completely new battle plan. He stared at Masaki. "You're the one with the strongest long-range and wide-area magic. We still need you to cover most of the field." Think. Think! "Wait. Let me go in as though I'm facing Shiba instead. I'll use every spell I know if I have to. You take out the other two guys. I'll do my best to keep Shiba from turning toward you before you've KO'ed those others. Then we'll team up on Shiba." He glanced at his third teammate, the defender. "Daiichi, your strategy will remain as planned." He turned to Masaki. "What do you think?"
In the distance, the signal began counting down.
Masaki nodded and double-checked her CAD. "We'll do it."
The starting horn blared.
"Let's go!" Masaki charged towards the enemy monolith, firing a steady stream of Air Bullets.
Kichijouji took off, keeping pace with Masaki. He had a brief moment to wonder what it looked like to everyone else to see a redheaded warrior princess racing onto the battlefield, glaring.
For a moment, Shiba Tatsuya didn't seem to move at all. Then he broke into a run, too, raising both of his guns and firing.
Kichijouji shot off six Invisible Bullets in rapid succession, only to watch Tatsuya tear them apart with Gram Demolition. It's all right. I just need to keep him off of Masaki and away from Daiichi.
Masaki halted before she got too close to her opponents, maintaining her long distance advantage. However, the tall boy revealed that his sword CAD could separate. One half flew toward Masaki, and she launched herself into a complicated forward somersault to avoid the sword and shot another spell at him, aiming upside down. She landed, and the boy crashed to the ground. She whirled and shot down the ancient magic caster before he could fire off a retaliation spell.
Having seen Masaki headed for his teammates, Tatsuya had changed direction. Kichijouji fired off four more Invisible Bullets, but Tatsuya used Gram Demolition to destroy them without even looking at where he was firing.
How the hell do you hit something you're not even looking at? Kichijouji wondered, giving chase. There really is a god, and he's a sixteen-year-old Japanese boy.
Again, without even looking, Tatsuya fired a spell Kichijouji's way, striking him right in the chest. Oscillation type, Kichijouji registered, even as he fell to his hands and knees. He ended up with double vision, and all of his insides seemed to vibrate. He nearly vomited. Take him out, Masaki! I at least kept him busy for you—just long enough.
Masaki was already on it. She stood her ground, not getting close to Tatsuya, and shot a dozen Air Bullets at once. "Dodge this!"
Kichijouji watched with unblinking shock as Tatsuya dismantled eleven of the twelve Air Bullets. Can that really be instinct or intuition? Only the final one formed and fired. Tatsuya jumped clear of it, clearly using ninjutsu—or, at the very least, high-level taijustu.
But Tatsuya was distracted trying to dodge Masaki, which left him open. Kichijouji slammed Tatsuya with weight-plus magic, holding him to the ground. "Masaki! Again!"
Masaki shot off a dozen more Air Bullets. Sweat beaded her brow.
Tatsuya dismantled Kichijouji's spell, jumping to his feet. He flipped and spun, shooting at the new round of Air Bullets.
Masaki took careful aim.
As Tatsuya shattered the first ten spells, somersaulting through the air, there was an instant in which his back was turned away.
Masaki squeezed the trigger.
Tatsuya's eyes widened at the sound of the new spell. His body rotated right side up just in time for Masaki's spell to hit him in the chest. He flew back and bounced along the ground as the other two spells each impacted him. He rolled to a stop, gasping and shuddering.
Then he dragged himself to his feet.
Masaki froze.
How can he possibly stand up? Kichijouji thought. He really is a god! He flicked out his hand, hitting Tatsuya with another weight-plus spell and slamming him into the ground.
Simultaneously, Masaki fired another Air Bullet at Tatsuya.
This time, Tatsuya didn't get up.
The horn sounded, ending the match.
Masaki fell to her knees. Shit! What is this guy? How did he just stand up like that? She crawled to Kichijouji. "You did well, my strategist. I'm proud of you."
Hearing those words gave Kichijouji a surge of pure love, washing away his lingering discomfort from the oscillation spell. "You were truly amazing." He smiled. "I knew you could do it. You're peerless. I just knew better than to say so prior to having our victory in hand."
Even from where he sat, Kichijouji could hear the Third High students screaming and clapping. Monolith Code, even as a rookie event, was worth enough points to put them in the lead.
"The Cardinal and the Princess won," Kichijouji said, chuckling. "Sounds like a fairytale." But will my fairytale end with marriage to the princess? "And if this is a fairytale, then I have one simple question: Will you be my date to the ball?"
Masaki hugged Kichijouji. "Yes." Then she glanced up and saw they were still up on the blimp's big screen. Their PDA was on full display. She blushed. "Oh, no. You've got to be kidding."
Half the stadium erupted with fresh cheers, whistles, and cat-calls.
Masaki groaned.
Kichijouji blushed as well, his entire body tingling from that hug, but he laughed. "Well, now that they've seen that, I'm sure they'll accuse me of siscon, and you of brocon, but they'll just be teasing us. We're conveniently not actually related. And despite all the ribbing we're going to take today, it's still the best day ever."
When Kichijouji entered the ballroom with Masaki on his arm, he could have died of happiness. I'm going ballroom dancing with Masaki! Now this is the best day ever.
They headed toward a group of their classmates.
"I'm honestly surprised Third High won," Kichijouji murmured. "Especially since Shiba Miyuki cheated during the semi-finals of Mirage Bat by using flying magic. At least the committee agreed that it was cheating and let the other girls access it. Still, it's not like they had time to train with it first the way Shiba-san did. I feel bad for our girl. She was a third year, after all. She won't get the chance to compete again."
Masaki nodded. "True. I'm just glad I had a chance to fight a genius like Shiba Tatsuya—and even defeat him." She smiled.
"It was impressive," Kichijouji murmured. He gave her arm a squeeze. "You know what? I heard that even Retsu Kudou showed up just to watch Shiba fight. Amazing, right?"
"Then I guess no one can really say Shiba is an underdog anymore," Masaki said. "If Retsu-sama showed up to watch him, then Shiba is incredibly special."
To their shock, as soon as Kichijouji and Masaki saw the First High students, the genius in question came out of the pack and approached them.
Tatsuya bowed stiffly. "Ichijou Masaki. I have thought a great deal about your words to me, and I appreciate your honesty. Because you have told me to express myself straightforwardly, I will do so." He rose, and an awkward pause followed. His gaze slid to the side, as though he weren't used to being this social. "May I have your number?"
Masaki almost fell over. "What?"
What? Kichijouji thought, stunned.
"Engaging you in combat has only made me respect you more," Tatsuya said. "You proved why you earned such a formidable reputation during your service on Sado Island. Even if you had lost to me, I would still have taken your measure as someone worthy of respect."
Masaki flushed. How am I supposed to respond to that? "Well, I can't say we're strangers now, but to ask for my number . . . I mean, we aren't exactly friends."
Tatsuya inclined his head and didn't look up again. "I understand."
Kichijouji sighed. You're so socially awkward I can tell you don't have many friends—or if you do, you haven't had them for long. And you've probably never had a girlfriend. He wanted to shoot himself, but he felt bad for Tatsuya again. Tatsuya had probably been incredibly lonely, and as someone who was orphaned during the invasion, Kichijouji understood loneliness.
Kichijouji released Masaki's arm and gave Tatsuya a smile. "You two should dance."
Tatsuya's head snapped up. His eyes widened.
Masaki flushed even hotter. "We should?"
Kichijouji made a shooing motion with his hand. "Go dance. After all, Shiba-san will only ever get this once chance to dance with you." And meanwhile, I intend to marry you.
Masaki's blush receded. She met Tatsuya's gaze again. "All right. If Jouji thinks we should, then I will." She took Tatsuya's hand and headed off.
When they reached the space where they had room to dance, Tatsuya recovered enough to hold her properly and lead. After a few minutes, Masaki noticed Tatsuya blushing. Boys have some mysterious solidarity with each other about girls, don't they? Jouji feels sorry for you for falling in love with me. Well, I guess dancing with you isn't so bad.
She couldn't help looking over her shoulder at Kichijouji. He'd already been swamped by dance partners begging for turns.
Tatsuya didn't seem to notice her distraction.
Kichijouji danced with a steady stream of girls from Third High, some of whom had crushes on him and some of whom were his friends. At the same time, Kichijouji noticed at least three First High girls glaring at Masaki and gazing wistfully at Tatsuya, not the least of which was Shiba Miyuki. Well, Tatsuya. It's not like you won't get a wife in the end. You're building yourself a little harem, even without meaning to. One that includes your own sister, for some weird reason.
The sister in question continued to stare at Tatsuya and Masaki as they danced again and again, Masaki's uniform skirt billowing as they twirled through the room. The longer Tatsuya and Masaki danced, and the longer Tatsuya gazed at Masaki with a faint blush and smile, the tighter Miyuki's shoulders grew. Even from where he danced, Kichijouji could see her shoulders inching toward her ears with tension. Her fists were clenched, and a deep frown was etched on her face.
Kichijouji grew so uncomfortable with Miyuki's clear fury that he had to look away.
Finally, Kichijouji had enough of dancing with other girls. He caught Masaki's gaze, tilted his head toward the terrace doors, and then slipped out of the room. He retreated to the hotel's massive water fountain, which was lit beautifully, and waited for Masaki to catch up to him.
Masaki followed only a couple minutes later. She'd left Tatsuya surrounded by blushing girls, and Miyuki had immediately clung to Tatsuya's arm.
Masaki sighed with relief at the cool, damp night air. The sight of Kichijouji by the fountain was so romantic it caused a catch in her throat. She stepped up beside Kichijouji and took his hand. "Hey." She smiled at him softly. "You have a kind heart."
Kichijouji blushed. "Well, I know how I would feel if I were Shiba." He raised Masaki's hand and kissed it. Then he steeled himself and took the plunge. "I love you more than anyone in the world, and I have since the day you and your family saved me on Sado Island. I would do anything for you. Please be my girlfriend."
A beautiful smile bloomed on Masaki's face. "Of course." She leaned in and pressed a kiss to Kichijouji's lips.
Kichijouji felt warmth rush through his chest, and he had the fleeting thought that he could die right in this moment and still be happy.
The music shifted, and Kichijouji recognized the first song he'd listened to with Masaki, three days after he'd come to live in Masaki's house.
Masaki's eyes stung. "It's that song. The song that played the first time you really able to sleep." She looked into Kichijouji's eyes. "Let's dance. This is meant for us."
"Do you want to go back inside?" Kichijouji murmured.
"No. Let's not waste any time," Masaki said. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Let's dance right here."
Kichijouji immediately pulled Masaki into his arms, resting his hand on her waist and lifting her hand to shoulder height. Then he began their dance, gazing up into Masaki's beautiful, blue-green eyes and smiling. Yes. Give me my happily ever after.
Masaki whirled in Kichijouji's arms. They seemed suspended in time. Behind them, the fountain shot higher, changing color, and seemed to dance along with them.
The night was truly magical.
Postscript A/N: Originally, I had meant for this story to only be two chapters. However, I'm inspired to write more, using the vacation chapter that comes next in the light novel and the Yokohama Harbor incident that was also included in the anime. So I'm off to consider how Tatsuya's crush will play out, what Miyuki's ultimate reaction to this night will be, and all sorts of other goodies.
