Mahouka koukou no Rettousei no me pertenece
Chapter 23: All or Nothing
*Pip pip pip
After partying all night at the losers' party, Toni and Godo went to bed late, maybe ten minutes before sunrise. The Japanese was exhausted and the German even more so. However, Godo had to see Shizuku and adjust his ADC for the final matches of Ice Pillar Break. Later, Toni would have a vague recollection of hearing the alarm at the usual time, and turning it off.
[~~~]
(Sountrack: Epic Sax Guy Original)
"It's nonsense to play who blinks first now." Gendo said
"Who's playing?, Pa" Touko replied,
The two had a morning session scheduled. Niyukiooto would check her partner's device thoroughly, reconfigure it and update it to for her personal use while Airi watched, sitting in a corner.
"Stop doing that." Gendo said sitting on the other side of the adjustment table. His eyes would be full of dark circles under his eyes if Mizuo hadn't already made them up.
"Do what?" said Touko, with a grab bag in her hands.
This morning, competitors and engineers had already started the CAD adjustment.
Airi smiled slightly as she watched her companions. To her, Touko deserved to shine brightly, on the other hand, Gendo was a prodigy: his intrinsic nature is superiority. The defeat of Shiori was a whim of the gods. The defeat with Masaki a mistake in the matrix. When engineer and competitor work together, they add the best of their fiery cores. Gendo's partner was more than qualified, so victory would be his.
"Oh, come on. I know how boring the adjustment period is and it's still an eternity before my first game starts." Touka pulled out what she was holding, showing that it was a covered bowl with strawberries and whipped cream. "Look what I brought, are you going to want some or are you going to rudely ignore me just like you did with the popsicle stick?"
"All right." Gendo said.
Touko abruptly shoved a strawberry into her mouth.
"Do you want too, Airi."
"No, thanks. I'm going to get some fresh air." Airi stood up.
She turned toward the exit. At the door, she looked back at her friend practically feeding Gendo. For a second, she frowned.
...
"Hello, isshiki-san."
"Good morning, Momoi-senpai."
While strolling around, Airi met Misaka Momoi: a girl with generous breasts, long black hair, just as small as Touka, although she was a third year student, a black belt in taekwondo and Chairwoman of the Public Morals Committee of Third High School, where she was Masaki's senpai. Airi knew her as a friend of her cousin.
A few days ago, Misaka was crushed in Ice Pillar Break by Kanon Chiyoda, now fate gave him a curious revenge against First High School, he was the replacement of Kanou Shiori in the rookie division.
"How is Kanou-san?" asked Misaka.
"She's... still stubborn." Airi replied.
"I understand. It seems like you two are very close. Maybe she's calmed down now, you should try again, talk to her."
[~~~]
"Shiori... Shiori."
"Yes?" he replied dryly.
In the hallway of a hotel, the voice of a girl tried to catch up with another lost girl.
"Win the Crowd Ball tournament."
"I knew you would win."
"Why didn't you come so we could party together?"
"That proves what I said: you don't need people like me by your side."
"Don't say that! It's not true, and you know it!"
"Airi, this is not a temporary thing, it is not a tantrum; it is the reality: I am no longer of any use. When the competitions are over, we will return to Kanazawa, I will cut all ties with the Isshiki Clan and I will no longer be a liability."
Airi leaned her back against the door that separated the two of them. Every time she tried to help her, every time she tried to lift Shiori, she was knocked down without exception. It was getting more and more frustrating and exhausting for her to muster up the energy and try again.
Shiori's broken spirit was simply beyond her power.
Airi's legs gave way as her back slid down into a sitting position. She considered a horrible probability. In her gut, despair grew like a snowball.
I was afraid that Shiori would be broken forever.
[~~~]
The Battle Board semifinals were over and the two finalists had already been decided.
All of Honoka's competitors wore sunglasses, in case she used her light magic. In any case, the race was a copy and paste of the previous ones: the girl with the pigtails would win again with a wide margin.
After winning her key to the final, Honoka met her engineer in the hallway outside the locker room for a brief celebration. A moment later, the two distracted their attentions.
Marishka looked away from her data center to watch Honoka and Touko's interaction. They seemed to be having fun in their own way. She smiled and looked at the screen again. Even when they are direct competition, he had to admit that the girls here were nicer than he expected. Then, he heard a familiar voice, but with monotone overtones in its tone.
I look again to see Gendo standing in front of Honoka. The boy turned his gaze and walked toward Marishka.
"Mikhailov Marishka from First High School, it's a pleasure." Gendo bowed. He shared a voice with his brother, but his intonation was completely different. "I am..."
"Godo's brother." Marishka interrupted.
"Yes, that's the one."
"I like your hair: black suits it better. You're prettier than your brother."
"Thanks, I guess so." Gendo said in his matter-of-fact tone. "I have commitments at the Ice Pillar Break arena, on the other side of the bounded aria for the Nine Schools competition, so I won't be here to greet you at the end of the event. "
"Yes, I understand."
"Anyway, may the best man win."
Gendo bowed in farewell. As he walked past Touka.
"Good luck, Tsukushiin-san."
As he faded into the distance. Marishka couldn't help but wonder if he was really talking to a human being: he looked so robotic. While that was the guy who ran over Toni.
"Honoka, I've been talking to your crush about strategies... or something." Marishka approached her. "He asked me to tell you this: 'if you follow the measures they designed you can win the final. If it gets too hard remember the training'."
"Tatsuya-kun!" Honoka squealed in happiness.
[~~~]
The Battle Board final was about to begin. In front of a pipeline, the stands were packed with Honoka's teammates and Marishka was excited to see her competitor win.
"Let's go!" said the announcer. "The Battle Board finals are about to begin."
Honoka and her rival were the only ones on the starting line.
Touka looked carefree, wearing a crimson suit, with her long light blue hair tied in two large braids that at the very least reached her waist.
The lights turned on until they reached the green one. Honoka wrote on her wrist ADC a mirage sequence that spread across the track.
The two left the finish line, leaving a trail of water in their wake. On the first stretch of road, Touko began to close the gap.
"You already learned the disadvantage of ancient magic. And you modified the water from the beginning." Touko looked at the water. "That's clever, but not clever enough."
In the middle of the road, vortices formed in the water.
"I will teach you this technique." Honoka activated a magic and gracefully leapt into the air with her board,
"Are you going to jump further beyond my magical reach?" Touko said. "Cutting off path with boost magic is against the rules!"
Honoka landed in the water. "Let's go."
"I see. Horizontal jump on the other side of this." Touko typed on her wrist ADC. "This is the best you can do!" He cast a spell.
At that moment, Honoka, in the back of her mind, remembered her training.
"Wow! You seem to have a strong sensitivity to psionic light. IF you use it you'll be able to sense interference from others. Those your strength."
"I can see that, Marishka-san." A green glow flashed in Honoka's eyes. She saw some spots on the road ahead. "There's magic in those glowing spots. I do know where they are." She raised her hand and released psionic waves.
"I block the spirits." Touko said.
On the bleachers, Mizuo's eyes widened. "Is that girl just like me?"
"Mitsui Honoka, Mitsui." Touko pondered as she looked at her rival's back. "That's right. light is your element! So you could see my magic! No wonder it appears to me that you know!" she gave a shrill, energetic laugh. "So be it! The Nine Schools competition is so much fun!"
The two continued on their journey up the ramp into the pouring.
"From here, I'll be able to see the rest of the course!" Honoka said. "This is my chance to see where his magic is!"
He jumped and his heart skipped a beat. The road was infested with magic dots. Every curve and straight were full of dots.
"Huh? That many?" he thought before hitting the ground. "What do I do? If I don't suppress them all, I'll run out of energy. For now, the ones nearby." He started typing on his ADC.
Touko fell with an energetic smile carved on her face.
"But...This feeling...It's fake!" Honoka paused.
It fell into the water without any trap being there.
"Knowing that I can see magic, I put up fake places to drain my energy!" Honoka continued on her way. "I'm sorry, but I won't play into your game!"
Further ahead, he encountered a large whirlpool. He nervously tried to type in his ADC, but first he stepped through it, as if it were painted on.
"Not only is it fake, but it's also huge!"
Then, a shadow overtook her.
"First!" Touko said. "There's still the best part of the game to go!" He started typing.
"Huh? That's an ADC too?"
Touko activated a sequence and accelerated to disappear.
"That's not ancient magic; that's modern magic! Aaah!" Honoka felt her board crash against the waves of an eddy. "Water spirit?"
The magic spirit was in Touko's hand, and it stood out as a ball of light violet light, with some lines connecting it to the water.
"Ancient magic is like the limbs of an eagle: it is also used when you are sleeping. So you concentrate on modern magic."
"No, I can't reach it." The water beneath her felt thick, like tomato puree.
A large wave of water headed toward Honoka.
In the stands Marishka was biting her nails. "Damn, Honoka, remember everything we practiced."
(Splash - Taku Iwasaki)
Then, I surf the wave, riding it.
"That's right! I worked hard! I worked hard every day! I got help from Marishka-san and Tatsuya-kun!"
"Suddenly his movements got better!" Mizuo said. "We: the elements, can wield unimaginable power for the people we love. will that be it?"
"When talent!" Touko called more waves with her magic.
Honoka's delicate, squeaky voice exclaimed, "I don't care about the waves: I'm not going to lose!"
The two set off down the home stretch. They entered a tunnel that went around and around.
"I'll catch up with you!" shouted Honoka.
"The end is an exit curve!" Touko's face was illuminated. "Take the inside side. I'm going to win!" I look to the other side: Honoka was hidden in a shadow next to the wall. "But what the... I should have taken the inside side! Ghost magic: expand the shadows and create an illusion! That's what she did!"
"The strategy we made worked, Marishka-san!" Honoka held her head high until she passed the finish line first.
I raise both arms toward the sky. "I won!"
[~~~]
"Hey, you showed off." Touko said.
Honoka's board was leaning against the wall of the dressing room tunnel.
"I think this eagle should not go to sleep in aquatic competition."
"It doesn't mean that the 'Talking Heart' victory was all that resounding."
"Chatterbox." Honoka's cheeks turned red with embarrassment.
"Touko..." Said the voice of a senpai.
Mizuo and Marishka were arriving to see their classmates.
The petite girl threw herself into her friend's arms.
"Ouch, I'm disappointed." Touko said, feigning sadness.
Mizuo stroked her head, as a mother would her daughter.
"It was a great match." Marishka put her hand on Honoka's shoulder. "They had us in suspense until the end."
Marishka smiled. Her heart rejoiced in a warm feeling. After this, she had begun to admire Honoka, at the same time, she wondered if she could be the same when her time came.
[~~~]
"Will you accept your place in the Nine Schools Competition, Gendo." Masaki said.
"I haven't decided yet."
"Emh, Masaki is anxious." Airi said, arms crossed. "He has an imaginary rivalry with you, and he wants you to agree to match in some key."
Gendo was sitting on a park bench. After leaving the school, he sat with Airi; and Masaki, who was talking to them standing up.
As a favor the Third High School asked him to participate in the Nine Schools Competition. But what reason would he have to accept? He was a scientist, even if the competition would give him a thousand times more fame, that didn't matter to him; neither would it be to test his skills in CAD adjustment, he had half a dozen more profitable offers for that; school spirit, no way.
Under normal circumstances, I would not accept; but this is not the case.
"It's already 4:30." Masaki said.
"It's already late." Airi replied automatically.
"Yes. I'm leaving now. My mom made miso soup. George loves it. I want to get there before it's gone."
"See you tomorrow." Airi said goodbye.
Gendo stood alone on the bench for a few seconds. Trying to vent his envy. It's funny to pretend you're not jealous when there's no one to fool.
Ordinary people thought Gendo was extraordinary: the prodigy of his generation, a child genius in various fields. But he believed that these small, seemingly ordinary things were what was truly extraordinary, as well as painful.
He turned to the side, where a young mother and her twin sons were walking hand in hand.
"Mommy! Mommy! Look, I got a ten!" The boy was showing her his grade as she turned her attention to the other sibling.
Gendo almost choked on the lump forming in his throat. He knew that feeling too. If he could he would shake off the need for approval, but he couldn't.
"Why are you silent?" Airi said.
Gendo looked at the park bench that had become a chair in the Third High School operations tent.
"I'm sorry. I got lost in my memories."
[~~~]
Once again, Gendo and Masaki ran roughshod over their respective competition. All their victories culminated in this: meeting again in a final, this time in the men's Ice Pillar Break.
In the stands, the crowd was full, Morisaki looked down from a high section of the stadium at two-thirds of what would be a rival team in Monolith Code.
From her private balcony, Maya Yotsuba spied on the duel of the two young members of the eleven master clans, with Cliff, Fumiya and Ayako; she looked like a mother with her two children and her new husband.
Aleera and Verona would also be keeping an eye on the match.
The two finished ascending. Masaki was wearing his Crowd Ball uniform, as a good luck charm; his arms were crossed in front of him and he had an impatient smile.
Gendo stood erect with his hands behind his back. His posture was solid as always, but his legs felt like concrete, a pressure crushing his back and all the accumulated fatigue.
The doorbell rang.
(Tekken 7 OST: G Corp. Helipad (Night) - Final Round)
*Uroboros
Gendo cast his best spell at the pillars, Masaki the same. The blocks were exploding one after another until Gendo's spell failed. His sequence was cancelled. Before he could activate another one, his stomach burned, he had a strong retch in his stomach. It felt like a tube of toothpaste being crushed as the blood red vomit was expelled from his stomach.
He could only keep his hands in his mouth as Masaki's sequence destroyed the pillars.
The final bell rang. The cranes came down. As Masaki felt a mixture of happiness and worry, the magic safety field covering the arena was overridden and paramedics entered to check Gendo's condition. They diagnosed that the vomiting was only due to stress.
"Hey, are you okay?" Masaki approached him, shaken and disheveled. "You vomited blood!"
"It's just Touko's strawberries and cream." Gendo had renewed his elegance.
To his surprise, Masaki arm him.
"It was a great match; thank you so much for it and being my opponent!"
Masaki raised his arm and gave her a farewell bow before leaving.
The paramedics diagnosed that the vomiting was due to stress. After receiving medical clearance, the two took their places on the podium. Masaki was named champion again, with a gold medal around his neck; and Gendo runner-up. The Crimson Prince went out to probably meet his parents on their private balcony.
Gendo had the same expressionless face as before and during the match. On an overall balance, his performance was more than good; but he couldn't help but wonder as he watched Masaki's back walk away, if he would feel the same realization he feels with one more victory.
Anyway, he dismissed that doubt, and Gendo headed for the exit at a medium pace.
...
"That pair looked very strong."
Katsuto said, standing next to Morisaki. "But I don't think Gendo-san will be at his one hundred percent from now on."
"It's going to be in Monolith Code." Morisaki said. "You have no choice when you have responsibility. As my father used to say."
[~~~]
In the competitors' bathroom, Gendo was clinging to the sink as he continued to vomit. His stomach was twisting as if he was going to die.
"Ichijou-san is right: this looks like blood."
Gendo looked at his reflection in the mirror: the makeup had smudged, revealing his eyes full of dark circles like an owl, his pale face was covered with cold sweat, his legs were as heavy as stamen and his vision was beginning to blur; he was tired, but he was also at that point where forcing himself to keep working is strangely easy.
"Are you okay?" Airi asked from the other side of the door.
"Yes, isshiki-san." He replied with his natural machinic tone.
He had to be careful or his companions would find out about his condition. Gendo washed his face and walked out as usual.
[~~~]
Toni had a nightmare: a strange liquefaction of amethyst eyes piercing him with disapproval, the echoes of the Messenger's voice, the rumblings of the confrontation with Gendo Niyukiooto, being absolutely outclassed, with no chance of winning.
He sat up suddenly. He was upset and lying on a urinated bed.
After partying all night, her eyes had dark circles under her eyes and her hair was disheveled. She looked at the alarm clock. 12:40. Godo would have had to go to the school field to adjust Shizuku's ADC. His competition was at one o'clock in the afternoon.
"Godo!" I shout, "Godo! Godo Shizuku's competition!"
His partner woke up. He stood up suddenly, rising like a spring. The dark circles under his eyes were no less, he looked like a raccoon. While Godo put on his engineering pants and jacket. He grabbed his engineering gear and his shoes.
Godo turned in his direction. "What's that, did you drop water?"
"No, it's... that's it."
"I don't care. We've all wet the bed. Change your pants and help me put my gear away."
Toni did just that. He felt it was the least he could do.
"That's it." Toni finished filling a briefcase.
"There's no time, Bro. We have to run." Godo ran toward the closed door, but slammed into it. After bouncing, he opened it and stepped out, shoes in hand. Toni came out back following him.
[~~~]
Eimi defeated Misaka. However, the two collapsed on the stage, being severely exhausted. When she awoke, Eimi had to use a cane to get out of the infirmary. Her engineer, Aleera, jokingly offered to carry her in her arms; but that didn't stop the little girl.
"SuWow, you're stronger than I thought!"
The organizing committee asked First High School if its three competitors wanted to share first place. Eimi said yes. On the other hand, Shizuku and Miyuki...
Sister Shiba and her engineer, Verona, had already finished their adjustments. The committee gave an extension, even moving up the men's final. But time was running out. Miyuki was ready when her competitor's engineer had not arrived.
Shizuku was wearing her cyan kimono, sitting, looking down as she stereotyped her engineer. If she were more expressive perhaps she would frown.
There was a loud sound: the door opened. Godo walked in and looked around the room.
"Put it on the table."
Toni Pass.
"Where were you!" Shizuku said.
"I don't know what happened, my alarm didn't go off, I woke up and ran here, I didn't stop to close my belt, or put on my shoes!" Godo looked at his feet. Then, I look at the clock. "How much time do we have?"
"Ten minutes."
"Ten minutes. If we can make it." Godo smiled.
The two sat down at the table and began a race against time, finishing just in time for Shizuku's call.
...
Shizuku came out of her dressing room and went to the arena, with Toni and Godo accompanying her, the latter had brought her a towel, a bottle with water in a bucket.
"Just a last second tip."
"I hope I hold this for you." Said Toni
Godo gave him the bucket.
Just then Gendo was passing by on his way back. Their eyes met.
"Hallo."
"Guten Tag, Krueger-san."
Gendo is not the kind of person who believes that teasing others is worth his time, however, he had a genuine doubt.
"Nimmst du jetzt die Handtücher?"
(Are you now in the towel carrying business?)
"Uh, ahem. No. This is just..." Before Toni could finish, Godo said they had to go upstairs to watch the game.
...
The stands were full of people, everyone was speculating about the confrontation. Among them, the acquaintances of the competitors. The spectators were tense to see the finals. Everyone in the stands was talking about another dream final, with two brilliant competitors, brimming with beauty and talent.
The wind swayed Touko and Mizuo's locks of hair as they watched on a TV outside the arena.
On a balcony, Verona and Aleera were sitting with Erika on Erika's lap when Godo and Toni arrived.
"Hi, Toni."
"Hello, Erika."
"Ready to see Shizuku win?" said Godo.
Aleera rolled her eyes.
"Are you really so sure you know who will win?" Verona said.
"Well I know she won't win." Aleera said. "I didn't tell you that your competitor was the most powerful."
For a second, Verona remembered what her sister said to Airi last night, she couldn't say that it didn't suit them that it was true or that she didn't have good arguments to defend herself, but she had mixed feelings about that too.
"By the way." Toni said. "Where's Marishka? I thought they always hung out together."
Verona uncrossed her legs to accommodate them.
"It's in the Battle Board arena."
"Since it's on the other side of the sands, only teleportation would get you there in time."
Aleera stopped when she was about to squeeze Erika's ass to realize that Toni did not take what she said literally, fortunately.
(Slanging Match - Taku Iwasaki)
Shizuku rode up the elevator and appeared at the top of the crane, with her beautiful magic she set out to fight for victory with her phone-shaped ADC.
On the other side, there was Miyuki in her white kimono and with her CAD bracelet.
"Miyuki. I always wanted to win... But now..." Shizuku stroked her flower pin. "This will help me more than anything else."
The buzzer sounded. Both typed in their CADs and launched sequences that spread throughout the area.
Half of Shizuku's field began to burn while the other half froze.
"Of course, Hell of Shiba-san." Airi said.
"That spell is not enough." Gendo said. "No matter how strong Hell is. She altered the information on the pillars to avoid high temperatures. It won't melt the pillars."
"Resonance destruction is area magic that vibrates the entire base." Miyuki said. "I must stop it before it starts!"
The universe is the dimension of information written by Eidos. The psion particles emitted by the magicians are the source of power with which they rewrite events and phenomena. These particles can manifest as light or sound waves that are only perceived by people with sensitivity to them, the magicians.
At that moment, a blanket of blue psionic particles covering Miyuki glowed blue, while Shizuku had an aura of particles in a shade of green glowing with the same intensity. Anyone with half a brain can tell that they are not normal high school girls just by looking at them, their magical powers are no joke.
"You modified the ice information to avoid my hell." Miyuki said. "And, at the same time, you used resonance destruction." She felt true admiration for her partner and rival. "But you won't be able to defeat me!"
"Even if I avoid the magical modification of the event the ice will melt because of the ambient temperature." Sentenced Gendo.
"Shiba-san is just playing around so far." Airi said. "But what about Kitayama-san."
"I won't make it this way. Just as I thought." Shizuku's gaze was filled with fierce resolve. "In this case."
"This won't work."
"What do you mean?"
Godo stopped swirling his drink. Kitayama was on the other side of the cafeteria table.
"At this rate I don't think I can beat Miyuki." Shizuku said. "I know it's a strange desire to want to fight her. But..."
"You want to win. That's the spirit. I've been thinking about something. I may have the answer to your little problem."
Shizuku reached into the sleeve of her kimono, pulled out a gun-shaped ADC and pointed it forward with a cold stare.
In the stands. Mari shouted.
"IF you use two ADCs at the same time...!"
"If you use spirit magic in semi-automatic mode." Touko said as she looked at the large screen. "You can concentrate on using modern magic. But."
"Can you use two modern magics at the same time?" Mizuo said.
"Both are advanced magics that require absolute control." Godo thought. "I know how hard you've tried. Do it! Do it!"
The difference on the battlefield split in two grew wider: on one side it glowed bright red and fiery, on the other side everything was frozen and painted white, like an icy tundra.
He pulled the trigger and a sequence was projected before launching a photon beam toward one of Miyuki's pillars. For the first time her pillars were touched; before no one could scratch them. Now Shizuku was doing it with Phonon Maser: an oscillation-type magic that increases the number of supersonic oscillations to form a heat ray. In operation it is the same as the magic with which Toni melted the armored door of the library, but less powerful.
The engineers' reaction was curious.
"Phonon Maser." Aleera said. "Really, Godo?"
"It works, doesn't it?"
The redhead wouldn't admit it, but those girls were making arguments to earn her respect.
"Awesome: you can't predict what the outcome will be." Airi said. "She knows the difference in Shiba-san's power, but she's not giving up either. She came up with a battle plan."
If Gendo were immature, he would roll his eyes at his partner's romantic words.
At the same time, another platonic couple also made their analysis of the encounter.
"In addition to simultaneous CAD operation, the advanced magic auxiliary system." Masaki said.
"What do you know? The other brother has nothing to envy." Kichijouji said.
The lightning continued to melt Miyuki's pillar.
"Come on, just a little more." Kitayama pleaded inwardly.
"Shizuku, this is the determination with which you fight for him, in that case, I will also respond with all my power!" Miyuki raised her hands, holding her ADC, like a goddess posing in a sculpture. "I am jealous of you, because of your strength and talent. That's why, Shizuku, I don't want to lose!"
*Nefleim
A magical sequence was activated in the arena. And a hostile blizzard was unleashed.
"Large-scale acceleration magic!" said Mayumi somewhere.
"What the hell!" cursed Mari, the blameless Chair of the Public Morals Committee.
The magic was beginning to freeze Miyuki's pillars even more, counter-arresting Photones' magic.
"I won't allow it! I will strengthen the maser's information until the power of his magic disappears!" Shizuku exclaimed. But she didn't give it her all to win. Her magic eventually gave way.
"I'm sorry." Miyuki said. "But it's not enough."
The fierce blizzard that was invoked prevailed. Through the cryogenic air, the pillars were reinforced with another layer of thick ice.
"The ice stopped melting." Airi said. "But I didn't expect Shiba to have activated the Nefleim just for that. What kind of... Gendo!?"
He turned to see that his partner was walking toward the door.
"It's irrelevant to keep watching. I already know how it will end."
And, as a mushroom of white mist rose on the pillars, puddles formed underneath.
"That's right, your stored information works on the pillars that are already there. But not on the new reservoirs." Said Miyuki, "In other words, it has no effect on the nitrogen drops and puddles! This is the last move!" She raised her ADC with all her might.
From the top of the crane, Shizuku could see how its pillars burned red hot, like boiling iron bars.
"The nitrogen on the surface of the water will vaporize with the heat of hell! And it will expand 700 times!"
The entire stadium heard the explosion. The aria was covered by a thick fog of ice particles. Inside, pieces of the pillars were falling. After a few seconds, the wind blew the fog away.
It was seen that in the winner's aria they were intact while in Miyuki's aria, only pieces remained.
The stadium was silent until one of the teammates began to applaud followed by the entire audience.
Miyuki's eyes were wide and misty.
On the stage, she was still standing without assimilating what had happened. Her eyes were empty, her gaze clouded and lost. She let her ADC slip from her hand before falling to her knees.
On the other side, Shizuku stood triumphantly atop her crane as the wind swayed her kimono.
The announcer said, "The winner of the Freshman Ice Pillar Break is Kitayama Shizuku from First High School!"
...
"What the fuck happened!" Erika said.
"Do you remember the beginning? The magic sequence that Shizuku cast?" Verona said. "Actually there were two: the first was Data Fortification and the second was a passive magic, perhaps with the requirement to be deployed beforehand."
"When Miyuki was about to destroy the pillars Shizuku activated her magic, redirecting the vibrations through the matter." Aleera said. "It could easily be the spell of a Clan specializing in oscillations."
"You found out already, just as I expected from you, my Dear Misses Kozlov and Drakulia."
"Like it was planned from the beginning." Aleera Said over the psychic link. "He knows how to play chess."
Godo made a flatulence sound with his mouth. "The truth is, we were luckier than I expected, haha."
He went to the door. He didn't want to waste time celebrating with his competitor.
...
There was a collective atmosphere of frustration on the Yotsuba balcony.
Ayako held her head in her hand with an expression worthy of a child throwing a tantrum.
"Too bad." Maya said. "She lost Miyuki-chan."
...
After the awards ceremony, Shizuku was walking down the tunnel to her dressing room when she ran into her engineer.
"Hey, how does victory feel, Champ."
Shizuku walked towards him, when he was within reach he vanished.
Godo caught her in his arms.
"Shizuku! Shizuku! Are you all right?"
"It feels like daydreaming."
"What?!
"Don't worry. I'll be fine." As soon as he said that, his body began to regain its vitality.
[~~~]
Looking at his sister's poor condition after losing, Tatsuya took her to eat in the banquet hall. Gradually she began to look better, but he was still too preoccupied to notice the table next to him, with four students from his school and a fifth who was arriving.
"Look who came, Mr. Humility."
"Humble is Shizuku. I am the god of engineers."
"Every dog has its day."
"Are you waiting for someone special?" said Marishka.
"Yes, very special. I really hope it's my day." Godo said. "Hey, I'd ask you what cologne the girl likes if I had any."
Then, Honoka and Shizuku entered, the latter still with her gold medal hanging around her neck.
When Honoka saw Tatsuya and Miyuki she made a childish startled face, but it vanished when the older Shiba motioned for them to come closer.
"Shizuku." Godo saluted.
After a moment, she turned to wave and her dry expression before walking away.
When she stood in front of Tatsuya, Shizuku with flushed cheeks clutched her medal like a mother holding her baby.
"Tatsuya-kun, I am the winner."
Godo stood up and turned toward the exit.
"Hey, wait. Weren't you going to eat?" said Verona.
"I just lost my appetite."
End of part 20/ ?