Author's Note: First, I just wanted to say 'thank you' for all the responses I have received so far! I wasn't planning on continuing this after the first chapter because life got in the way, but the enthusiasm of the community convinced me otherwise.
Second, some of you have expressed concern over this following the canon plot of MKnR too closely. I get that. Simply retelling the same story is not something which I want to do, but some events needed to happen to set the stage for the remainder of the series. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure that this chapter will surprise you, even if some parts are predictable.
[Episode 3: Enrollment - Part 3]
Mayumi leaned Hanzo against the wall of the Third Practice Room as Tatsuya walked back to his briefcase to put away his CAD.
"Hold up." As referee, Mari undoubtedly had questions. "That move you just made...did you deploy a self-acceleration spell in advance?" Mari was asking Tatsuya if he had cheated, as the combatants were only allowed to begin casting once the match had begun.
"That wasn't magic," came Tatsuya's response. "It was a bona fide physical technique from the art of taijitsu, which I have mastered under Sensei Kokonoe's exceptional training. While ninjutsu, in which I am also proficient, is classified as Ancient Magic, I did not use any techniques from that school of martial arts."
"That Kokonoe?" Anyone who was anyone knew Yakumo's reputation, and Mari was no different.
"Then was the spell you used in that attack also ninjutsu?" Mayumi looked confused, as the spell did not appear to be either martial arts or Ancient Magic, but she also doubted Tatsuya's ability to cast a spell that quickly...he was, after all, a Course 2 student. "It only looked to me as if you'd released psion waves..."
"You are correct. Vice President Hattori was casting an Essential Singularity-type spell, but all I did to defeat him was generate psion waves."
"Even so, that doesn't explain why Hanzo got knocked out."
"He was wasted."
"Wasted?" An unusual term to use when referring to a magician. "On what, exactly?"
"Magicians perceive psions just as they do visible light and sound waves," Tatsuya explained. "When a magician is exposed to unexpected psions, he hallucinates that his body is being shaken, similar to how loud sound waves can shake your body and cause a headache. It was this delusion that brought on something akin to a violent bout of seasickness."
"Such a powerful psion surge as that..." Mayumi was in awe of Tatsuya's incredible understanding of psion physics, but still did not fully understand the reality of what just happened. "How on earth did you...?"
"Compound waves, right?" Apparently Suzune was also familiar with wave and psion physics to have come up with a solution so soon. "You created three consecutive psion waves of varying oscillation frequencies, calibrated them so that all three would converge where Hattori was standing, then generated a powerful surge, like a triangular wave."
"Very impressive, Ms. Ichihara."
"Still, how were you able to pull that off in such a short time?" Suzune wondered. "With that kind of processing speed, I don't see how your practical scores could be so low." Tatsuya only smiled, along with a small bow, in appreciation of her compliment.
"Excuse me..." A new voice spoke up. A-chan was examining Tatsuya's specialized CAD. "By any chance, Tatsuya, is your CAD a Silver Horn?"
"Silver Horn?" While Mayumi had never heard of it before, she was familiar with the name. "As in Taurus Silver, the mysterious genius magic engineer?"
"That's right!" A-chan was excited that Mayumi knew about him. "A specialist in Four Leaves Technology! The miraculous CAD engineer whose real name, appearance, and profile are all shrouded in mystery! The programming genius who was the first to implement the Loop Cast System! "Silver Horn" is the name of the specialized CAD model fully customized by Taurus Silver himself, and it's optimized for Loop Casting!" It seemed that A-chan was offering this as an explanation for how Tatsuya was able to defeat Hanzo so quickly.
"But Rin, that doesn't add up, does it?"
"No, it doesn't add up. The purpose of a Loop Cast is to launch consecutive invocations of the exact same spell. It just isn't possible to use a Loop Cast to create multiple surges of varying oscillations." Suzune examined her notes as she formed a theory. "I suppose it's feasible if the oscillations are defined as variables, but to set the oscillations as one more variable along with the coordinates, intensity, and duration..." A look of realization entered Suzune's eyes. "Don't tell me that's exactly what you've pulled off here?"
Tatsuya shrugged. He didn't care that they found out how he defeated Hanzo, though it might be dangerous to let them observe any more of his combat skills. If worst came to worst, he would have to tell them everything...he might even have to use the Yotsuba name to enforce their silence. That was something he didn't want to do at all and wasn't looking forward to.
"At this school, multivariables aren't subject to evaluation...not as processing speed, nor as calculation scale, nor as interference intensity."
"In the practical exam," Hanzo began. Apparently, he had regained consciousness and had overheard the last bits of conversation. "...magic skill scores are determined by Spell Invocation Speed, the scale of the Magic Sequence, and Target Data Rewriting Strength." If only he knew about Regrowth, the spell that completely rewrote its target's Eidos. "I see, so that's what happens when tests don't reflect your true abilities."
"Are you all right, Hanzo?" Mayumi seemed slightly embarassed that she had forgotten about him during the reveal of Tatsuya's skill. Hearing this, Hanzo stood up at attention.
"I'm fine!" He then turned to Miyuki. "Ms. Shiba?"
"Yes?"
"What I said before...about nepotism...that was rude of me. I was the one whose judgment was clouded. I hope you'll forgive me."
"I was also out of line. I insulted every student here at First High School. Please forgive me." Hanzo then turned to Tatsuya and gave him a slight nod of respect. Then he turned and walked out of Practice Room Three.
"All right." Mari spoke up. "We did get waylaid unexpectedly, but why don't we get back on track and head to the Disciplinary Committee headquarters?" Mayumi motioned for A-chan to stay behind after the others had left.
"A-chan, you seemed surprised to see that Tatsuya's CAD is a Silver Horn."
"Well, yes, President. Taurus Silver makes every one personally, and they're super expensive. Your family might be able to buy one for you, but there's also a waiting list. I've been on it for years in hopes of meeting Taurus Silver, but I haven't had any luck."
"A-chan, have you heard of the Shiba family before? I can't say that I have. Nevertheless, I find it interesting that Tatsuya has not only one, but two, Siver Horns along with multiple storage devices."
"A few years ago, I researched Four Leaves Technology. Their Vice President is a man by the name of Shiba Tatsurou, married to Shiba Sayuri, a researcher at FLT who was elevated to management." Azusa had heard the seriousness in Mayumi's voice and adopted a more mature tone, appropriate for a second-year student.
"And you think Tatsuya is somehow related to this Tatsurou? I admit that their names are similar..."
"Most information regarding the personal lives of FLT's employees is under strict lock and key. I wasn't able to find out much about the leadership or Taurus Silver."
"It might be a connection. Thank you, A-chan. I'll let Mari and Suzune know of this information."
~At the Disciplinary Committee's Headquarters~
"It's a little untidy, but hey, find yourself a seat somewhere." The Disciplinary Committee's headquarters was more than a little untidy, but Mari didn't seem to care. Tatsuya did, however.
"Chairwoman, would you mind if I straightened this place up?"
"What?"
"As an aspiring magic engineer, I find this environment somewhat unbearable." Tatsuya didn't pull his punches.
"Magic engineer?" That's right, Mari wasn't there when he vocalized his choice of profession. "When you have such tremendous combat skills?"
"At my skill level, no matter what I do, I can't hope for more than a Level C license."
"But I would expect that they could give you a special license if you demonstrated your abilities to the right people...the military, perhaps?" Mari had the right idea. After all, the military did want Tatsuya-they had recruited him during the battle of Okinawa into the 101st Independent Magic Battalion-but Mari didn't know that, and she wasn't supposed to.
"And what would the military expect of me, Ms. Watanabe? I think more than simply running behind the enemy and releasing psion waves. If it were that easy, any Course 2 student could win a Monolith Code competition against a superior opponent with only a little strategy." Tatsuya referenced a common magic sport in which both individuals, teams, and the Nine Magic University Associated High Schools competed.
"But not every Course 2 student is a practitioner of ninjutsu."
"They wouldn't have to be if they set up a good distraction in advance." Tatsuya had a point, and Mari knew it. She decided to continue cleaning up the headquarters instead of pressing her point. After some minutes of silent reorganizing, she changed the subject. "The reason I scouted you was...well, come to think of it, I've pretty much already explained that to you."
"And I remember, but if you ask me, dealing with Course 2 students is a measure that could backfire." Mari wasn't paying attention to him, as she was reading something on her personal tablet. A look of surprise crossed her face, and she looked back up at Tatsuya.
"I'm sorry, you were saying?"
"If you ask me, dealing with Course 2 students is a measure that could backfire." Tatsuya repeated his statement word-for-word.
"Why do you think that?" Mari was smiling in an unnatural fashion. It gave Tatsuya the impression that she was trying to hide something, probably whatever she had just read on her tablet. He decided not to pursue this suspicion, though.
"The Course 2 upperclassmen won't take kindly to being policed all of a sudden by a younger student in the same boat." This line of argument surprised Mari, as she thought that the Course 1 students would be the source of Tatsuya's anxiety.
"But I think your fellow first years will surely welcome you."
"I'm sure there'll be double the animosity from the Course 1 students." So Tatsuya was worried about the Course 1 students after all; Mari wondered as to what this said about Tatsuya's logic and thinking. "Is it that he's more afraid of Course 2 students than he is of Course 1 students? I doubt it. Certainly Course 2 students can have impressive skills in fields lacking magic, but so does Tatsuya. If anything, his skills give him an edge, even over Course 1 students, as we've just seen. I don't really see Tatsuya as the kind of guy who is afraid of anyone-the way he carries himself exudes authority and seniority, which is odd, considering those are two things he is lacking here. Well, I guess being on the Disciplinary Committee does give him some authority, but if authority is his goal, then why does he still argue against me? Considering the email that Mayumi sent me, he could be trying to hide something from me, and/or the Disciplinary Committee. A hidden connection to Four Leaves Technology is quite the secret, after all." Aloud, she said:
"Sure, there's bound to be some animosity," she admitted. Mari saw this as an opportunity to draw some information out of Tatsuya, and she took it. "But right now, everyone's just started here. They shouldn't be all that poisoned by discriminatory impulses yet, right?" She tried to conceal it, but her tone sounded somewhat sarcastic and taunting.
"Who knows?" Tatsuya took the bait. "Just yesterday, I got hit with the "I'm never going to acknowledge you" treatment from someone."
"Are you talking about Morisaki?" Mari had to confirm that her fish had been hooked before reeling in the line.
"You know him, then?"
"He'll be joining this committee under a Faculty recommendation." At this proclamation, Tatsuya's eyes widened and he dropped the storage device he was holding. "What's more, I'm considering putting both you and him on the same patrol." While Mari said this in jest, Tatsuya's reaction prompted her to seriously consider the idea.
"Ms. Watanabe, I highly doubt the effectiveness of your strategy. Having Morisaki and I work together is not a realistic goal..." He broke off his protest at Mari's laughter.
"So even you can get flustered, too, I see."
"Well, of course I can." Embarassed, Tatsuya tried to cover for his "emotional" display. Luckily, two Committee officers walked in at that moment, taking Mari's attention from Tatsuya.
"Afternoon!"
"Good afternoon!"
"Hey, senpai! So you're here, huh?"
"Chairwoman, we've completed today's patrol mission. No arrests have been made." The officer who was giving his report was interrupted by Mari, who hit the other officer with some rolled-up papers.
"Don't call me senpai! How many times do I have to tell you? Is that head of yours just an empty ornament?"
"Please don't beat up on me like that!" Mari stopped, and the target of her fury noticed Tatsuya. "By the way, Chairwoman, is that a new face I see over there?"
"That's Shiba Tatsuya of Class 1-E. He'll be joining us under the recommendation of the Student Council." The student's eyes naturally drifted toward Tatsuya's shoulder.
"Emblem-less, huh?" This comment drew the attention of his companion.
"Tatsumi, your choice of words may run afoul of the banned words regulations." Casting a sideways glance at Tatsuya, the officer continued. "In this case, the proper term would be Course 2 student."
"You guys, you're going to get the rug pulled out from under you if you hold such a simplistic outlook." Mari stepped up to Tatsuya's defense. "Between you and me, Hattori just got himself royally tripped up a little while ago."
"You mean that guy defeated Hattori, then?"
"That's right, in an official match, too."
"What the...? Are you saying that Hattori, undefeated since he started here, got beaten by a new student?"
"I'm glad to have him on our side!"
"We've got ourselves a irregular, right, Chairwoman?"
"Who would've thought, right?" Mari was ready to take back control of the conversation. "This school, with its asinine "Bloom"/"Weed" labeling, is teeming with people either wallowing in their sense of superiority, or drowning in their sense of inferiority. To tell you the truth, I've been fed up with it all. Speaking for myself. Fortunately, both Mayumi and Jumonji of the Extracurricular Activities Federation know what kind of personality I have. They've used their recommendation slots to pick people who are relatively immune to those kinds of sensibilitites. Their feelings of superiority may not quite be at zero, but they're good guys who can evaluate others' skills fairly." As Mari lined up her final point, she knew that she had won Tatsuya over. "I don't think this place will be all that uncomfortable for you." The two officers then turned to Tatsuya and introduced themselves.
"I'm Tatsumi Koutaro of Class 3-C." This was the one who had first noticed Tatsuya, though now he was the first to extend his hand to him. "Nice to meet you, Shiba. Able guys like you are more than welcome here!" The other then introduced himself.
"I'm Sawaki Midori of Class 2-D. Glad to have you on board, Shiba." Tatsuya smiled and shook Tatsumi's hand.
I'm first year student Shiba Tatsuya. Likewise...it's nice to meet you, too."
~That Night~
Tatsuya was at his house, working on an upgrade for the Third Eye, a sniper rifle-inspired CAD that greatly boosted the accuracy of the user's magic. It was primarily designed to work with Material Burst, to increase Tatsuya's control over the effects of that spell, but it could be adapted to work with any systemized magic. Tatsuya's concentration was disrupted by a soft knock on his front door. Using Elemental Sight, he could see that it was Miyuki. "So she's here already, huh? I must have been working longer than I thought." Though the Shiba siblings had pre-arranged the meeting, it still surprised Tatsuya to see his sister standing at his door. "Come in," he said.
"Excuse me." To an outside observer, the standard polite greeting would have seemed out-of-place, but to Miyuki and Tatsuya, it was the least-awkward option. What were they supposed to say? The truth is it didn't matter. Regardless what they did or said, the fact remained that they had no relationship whatsoever, and that was largely because of their family.
Miyuki entered her brother's home. "No, house," she thought. "Home is where the heart is, and Tatsuya-sama has no heart with which to make a home." She took her shoes off by the door. Tatsuya entered the room and walked toward his sister. He didn't get too close; for some reason, each party wanted to maintain their personal space. Hugs, or any sort of affection, felt just as weird as calling this stranger "sister" or "brother."
"Ah, you're here. Welcome, Miyuki."
"Thank you for inviting me. I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to talk at school."
"You don't have to apologize. Everything worked out in the end."
"Okay, Tatsuya-sama. I'm sorry for-" Miyuki looked away as she almost said "apologizing."
"Miyuki..." Tatsuya didn't like seeing his sister so...weak. She looked like she was about to cry, and that was no way for the future matriarch of the Yotsuba to act. Granted, she was only fifteen years old and was supposed to be having an emotional reunion with her older brother, but still...seeing her cry made him want to ask about what was wrong. Except he already knew what was wrong. It was him.
Miyuki was indeed crying about her brother, or at least the brother that she could've had if their situation was any different. "Tatsuya-sama, I'm sorry that we never got to have a real relationship. If I had asked, our aunt would have let me see you..." Miyuki knew this was a lie, yet she believed it. "...but I never asked. I knew how the family felt about you, and I chose to go along with them instead of fight for us. I'm sorry..."
"Tatsuya-sama, this was a bad idea. I will go now."
"Okay, Miyuki, but why do you believe this is a bad idea?" Tatsuya didn't know that their private moment had stirred up Miyuki's emotions and that she was trying to hide it. In reflection, he might have only made things worse.
"Tatsuya-sama?" She stopped as she was walking out the door. "Do you really believe that our relationship can be fixed by talking? We haven't seen each other for three years. THREE. YEARS." Miyuki stressed the last two words to add emphasis on the extent of time they had been separated. "On top of that, society as we know it expects me to look down on you. And you know what? I do. Tatsuya-sama, you're my older brother..." the words seemed flat as she spoke them. "...and the one who saved my life, and the lives of many other people at Okinawa. Do you know how much it pains me to look down on you?"
"Miyuki..."
"Don't "Miyuki" me! You have lived the last three years of your life in the luxury of our aunt's mansion. I have not. I have an apartment that is just a short drive from here, in downtown. And do you know what I do in that apartment? I become a Yotsuba. I host parties for our family. I let our cousins stay in the guest rooms when they're in town. And all I hear are praises, how kind I am, how beautiful I am, how much better I am that that defect.
"But they're right, you know. And that is what pains me; they're right and I know it, but I don't want to admit it out of some childish respect for you. That's why this is a bad idea, Tatsuya." The lack of the respectful epithet "-sama" confirmed Miyuki's feelings to Tatsuya. "I have to go now. I don't know when next I'll see you, and to be honest, I prefer it that way." And with that, she shut the door.
Tatsuya was left standing alone in the middle of his living room. He thought about going after Miyuki, but on account of how his last attempt ended, he chose to instead go back to work. He somehow doubted that he would be able to sleep that night.
~April 6th, 2095~
It was the first day of Invitation Week, when every school club would be recruiting. As such, this was often a stressful time for the Disciplinary Committee.
"Once again this year, the week of unbridled shenanigans is upon us." Mari was addressing the entirety of the Disciplinary, which was only nine people, including Mari and Tatsuya. "As the snagging of talented club members is a crucial task that directly influences the power map of each club, it is unfortunately not uncommon for the ensuing mad scramble to degenerate into no-holds-barred fistfights or magic shootouts. Luckily, this year we were able to replace our departing graduates in time. Let me introduce them to you," she said, referring of course to Tatsuya and Morisaki. "Stand up." Both followed her command and stood at attention. "This is Morisaki Shun of 1-A, and Shiba Tatsuya of 1-E. They'll be joining the patrol detail right away." One of the other officers pointed halfheartedly toward the newcomers, particularly at Tatsuya.
"Are they gonna be of any use?"
"Don't worry, they're both competent. I've already observed Shiba's skills in person, and Morisaki can wield a pretty mean device himself. Does anyone else have anything more to say?" Mari waited a few seconds to see if anyone would protest a Course 2 student being a member of the Disciplinary Committee. "Fine. Then let's send you on your way. Mobilize!" With that, the entire Disciplinary Committee stood, saluted, and began their patrols-with the exception of Tatsuya and Shun, who stayed behind to be briefed by Mari.
"First off, let me give you these." She handed both of them armbands and a pocket recording device which they were to use in case they ever made an arrest. "Also, about the CADs. Disciplinary Committee officers are permitted to carry CADs on the school grounds. There's no need to request anyone's permission to use them. But if you're found to have used them inappropriately, not only will you be relieved of your post, but you'll also be penalized severely by the general student body. So don't take this lightly."
"I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"Are we allowed to use the committee's equipment as CADs?" Tatsuya was obviously interested in the junk they had been cleaning up on the afternoon of his battle.
"That's fine, but those are old-school, you know."
"True, they may be old-school, but they're also top-flight items calibrated for experts." Tatsuya had a point.
"If that's the case, then feel free to use them." From Mari's declaration and the tone in her voice, Tatsuya doubted that she had ever used or inspected the CADs that were at her disposal. "They were just sitting there collecting dust, anyway."
"Then I'll be borrowing these two."
"Two of them? You really are an interesting one, aren't you?
As they stepped out of the Committee's headquarters, Mari called to them one last time.
"Tatsuya! Morisaki! Don't you want to know your patrol assignments?"
"Yes, Chairwoman." The answer came from both parties simultaneously.
"Okay. You are both to patrol the main grounds, starting here..." she said as she pointed to a map, "...and ending here. Feel free to enter any of the gymnasiums, as well."
"Chairwoman..." Shun, who had been quiet during the entire meeting, now spoke up. "Do you want us to patrol together?"
"Yes, Ms. Watanabe," Tatsuya said. "That does seem to be the impression you gave off...I am just wondering if we are correct in that assumption." The look on both of their faces was priceless.
"Oh, did I not mention that part?" Mari feigned ignorance, but both Shun and Tatsuya knew that she left it ambiguous on purpose. "Yes, you will be patrolling together. Have fun!" With that, she shut the door behind them, effectively ending the conversation. The adversaries stood there in silence for a minute.
"Hey." It was Shun who broke the ice.
"What?"
"There's no way that you can activate magic by using two CADs simultaneously. You lowly Course 2 student...get over yourself already!"
~Later That Morning~
Tatsuya and Shun hadn't said a word to each other as they wandered around the campus. They meandered through the hallways, stopping by the lockers and classrooms, then toured the club booths that were set up in the quad. Eventually, they made their way to one of the gymnasiums, in which Tatsuya found Erika watching a kendo match. He saw that she looked less than happy, so he initiated conversation.
"Hey, Erika."
"Oh, hey, Tatsuya."
"I take it that you're not thrilled."
"Well, it's so boring. Trying so hard to look good sparring, and then delivering a predetermined blow. This is no better than a staged sword fight!"
"Erika...it is a staged sword fight," Tatsuya deadpanned.
"You know what I mean."
"Well, it is an exhibition geared for publicity, and isn't that what it should be? It's not something you can show to others, right? Since a true martial arts battle is, in other words, two people killing each other."
"You're so cool-headed about it."
"Or maybe I'm just not as emotionally invested?" A gasp was heard from the gymnasium floor, where it looked like the kendo and kenjutsu clubs were in the middle of a confrontation. Tatsuya saw Shun watching from the sidelines, and despite his distaste of the young Morisaki, he decided to go and join his fellow Disciplinary Committee officer, in case things got out of hand. As he got closer, he heard parts of the argument.
"There's still more than an hour before the Kenjutsu Club is up, Kirihara!" This came from a girl in a traditional kendo outfit, bamboo training sword in hand. "Why can't you wait until then?"
"Not what I expected, Mibu." Apparently the girl was Mibu and the guy was Kirihara. "Since you can't put your abilities on display sparring with such a newbie, I just thought a little collaboration was in order."
"You're the one who forced him to challenge you! Collaboration my foot!"
"But it was the Kendo Club who struck first."
"Because you provoked us, Kirihara!"
"This is starting to get juicy, huh?" Erika had followed Tatsuya, anxious to be rid of her boredom.
"Do you know those two?"
"Well, not personally, but I have heard of them. The girl is Mibu Sayaka." Just as Tatsuya had assumed. "The year before last, she was second place in the National Junior High Kendo Tournament for Girls. The guy is Kirihara Takeaki. The same year, he won the Kanto Region Junior High Kenjutsu Tournament." As Erika was explaining this to Shun and Tatsuya, Kirihara challenged Mibu. She accepted.
"I'm going to stop this!" Shun announced it like it was some great feat of heroism which he was about to attempt.
"Morisaki. Might it not be best to let them resolve this with a duel?" Tatsuya asked. "Or are you that eager to make an arrest?"
"...Fine. I'll let them fight. But I'm intervening if it gets out of hand."
"As one would expect from an officer of the Disciplinary Committee." They turned back to watch the duel.
"Don't you worry, Mibu. This is a kendo demonstration. I'll do you a favor and not use any magic."
"You think you stand a chance against me with just sword skills? You, Kirihara, coming from the spell-dependent Kenjutsu Club, a match for a member of the Kendo Club, where we focus solely on honing sword skills?"
"Focus soley on honing sword skills? Right. You're full of bluster, Mibu." This seemed to be getting emotional, so Tatsuya turned on his pocket recorder. Shun noticed and followed suit. "I'll be happy to show you, then. What it means to battle in a dimension beyond the limits of physical ability...the sword skills of kenjutsu!" They lept toward each other and attacked. Each landed a blow on the other.
"A draw?" Erika asked in disbelief.
"No, they're not equal," Tatsuya and Shun replied at the same time. Both Mibu and Kirihara also noticed this, but Mibu was the one who spoke.
"If this was a real sword, you'd be fatally wounded. As for me, your strike stopped short of the bone. Accept your defeat like a good loser."
"If it was a real sword? You disappoint me. Mibu, is that what you want? To fight with real swords? If that's the case, then I'll oblige you. I'll take you on with a real sword," Kirihara said as he activated his CAD. With Elemental Sight, Tatsuya was able to read the activation sequence. "Oscillation-type Close Combat spell, Sonic Blade." The magic sequence extended around the shaft of Kirihara's sword, giving it a yellow glow. He lunged again at Mibu and slashed her, cutting clean through her protective Kendo gear.
"I'm stopping this! You stay here where you won't get hurt, Weed." Shun ran towards the fighters as Kirihara gloated and Tatsuya sighed.
"How do you like that, Mibu? This is a real sword!" Kirihara lept toward Mibu once more.
Morisaki Shun stepped in front of Mibu Sayaka as Kirihara Takeaki swung his blade. Shun put up a hand to block the incoming blow.
Kirihara's sword sliced through Shun's arm and plunged into his chest, continuing all the way through his body until it exited his torso near his waist.