Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Chapter 2

Status: Incomplete

1/3 parts completed

   

Chapter 2 – The Prologue of the Election Tournament

Part 1

In the SHR at the beginning of the week, the students were informed of the implementation of not the [election] but the [Election Battle].

“Team?”

The students were making a stir when hearing that unusual word, Liz Liza-sensei hit the teacher’s desk strongly to make the students quiet.

“The candidate is going to lead their supporter as their comrade and fight, with this team battle, display the strength and leadership as a knight. You all should think about what is required in a team to organize a good team.”

It was a team battle tournament that was going to be performed with two swordsman and two Magica Stigma in each team, four people in total per team.

That was Team Battle Election.

“Do all the ordinary students just get to watch?”

“No, when the tournament is all over, a voting will be performed next. Even if for example someone wins the overall victory in the tournament, but if the students judged that the way he fight is not suitable then his chance to become the Chief Student Council President is next to zero. A manifesto for the like of a knight is not just lip service but to be shown through battle…it could be said that this is not just a mere [kouyakumanifesto] but a touyakubattle pledge.”

In other words, this tournament battle served the function of election campaign like in the conventional election. The students would watch how the candidate fought and decide the result of the voting.

“What will happen with the current student council president of the Magic Division and the Sword Division?”

One of the students inquired anxiously. She might be a fan of Kaguya-senpai or Hoshikaze-senpai.

“There is no motion of non confidence that is directed to them, so as the general rule the present set-up of the student council is going to be maintained.”

Hearing that answer, the students including Kazuki released a breath of relief.

“However holding two positions at the same time will not be recognized. For example in the case that Otonashi Kaguya is being elected as the Chief Student Council President, then Kaguya will be retired from the seat of the Magic Division student council president. Thereupon because the seat of the Magic Division student council president become empty, an additional election will be performed in response.”

At the blackboard, Liz Liza-sensei put the <Chief Student Council President> at the top, below it <Magic Division Student Council President> and <Sword Division Student Council President> were written side-by-side, forming the picture of an organizational chart.

“The candidate is gathered either by recommendation or announcing their candidacy. The application for this is going to be accepted in the staff room, so if you are interested then notify the staff room within today. For recommendation, in the case that a consent from the person concerned is not acquired, then it will be considered invalid. If an application of recommendation comes in, then the person concerned will be contacted, so give your declaration of intent speedily.”

The classroom was noisy with people talking, this event that was happening so suddenly was something of great interest for many students.

However for Kazuki, this event was not somebody else’s problem.

Because far before this day, the headmaster had told him that he would recommend him secretly as the Chief Student Council President.

There was no right to veto. About the matter of Kazuki aiming for the seat of the Chief Student Council President―Headmaster Amasaki was the one that forced it to Kazuki, because it was the requirement for Kazuki to be able to keep continuing to stay at the Witch’s Mansion from here on.

However even though influential people like Kaguya-senpai existed, were they going to gather them all as candidates in this election? How could this develop into such a large-scale tournament, he had a bad feeling about this.

From this event that had no precedent at all in the past, it couldn't be denied that the teachers were starting this without considering any objections any longer from the students.

“The briefing intended for the candidates will be carried out at the auditorium after school, the drawing for the turn of the candidates in the tournament will be also conducted there. Until that time the candidates should prepare their team formation. As everyone know, people who served as officers in the student council would go through the elite course even at the Knight Order, but this time a bonus will be awarded at the student evaluation from just participating in the tournament. I hope everyone will participate in this proactively. …Also there is one more point.”

At that point the informative matter had been finished or so we thought, but Liz Liza-sensei still had some words to continue.

“At the last weekend, there were three incidents where the students were assaulted by a suspicious person, all of it happened in succession. The students are safe, but the perpetrator was not caught by the monitor cameras and he still hasn't been captured. Accordingly a quest intended for the student council and high-ranked students to perform patrol and strengthen the security is created. A reparation must be exacted from the perpetrator as soon as possible for his conduct of looking down at the Knight Academy, don’t you all agree? For that reason, students who don’t have confidence at their skill should refrain from going out at night outside their dormitory.”

The Knight Academy was attacked by a suspicious person…what a bold suspicious person.

During the commotion the students created, Kazuki was reminded of the assault by an unknown person during the date.

And then at the lunch break of that day.

When everyone is going to have lunch with Kazuki, Mio, Lotte, and Koyuki, those four people had joined their table into a cross shape, the moment they were going to begin all their cell phones were vibrating simultaneously.

It was a mail of summon from Kaguya-senpai.

Even Lotte who came to Japan in penniless condition was granted with a cell phone from the academy.

The four people went out from the school building and headed to the Witch’s Mansion by crossing through the garden.

At the living room of the Witch’s Mansion, the likely members had all already gathered together.

The upperclassman duo of Kaguya-senpai and Hoshikaze-senpai.

The familiar Sword Division student council trio of Kanae, Kamiizumi-senpai and Torazou-senpai.

Furthermore even Kohaku and Kazuha-senpai were there.

The influential people that Kazuki was being an acquaintance were all here in full-force.

Everyone was relaxing on the antique sofa and chairs or was standing around the table freely.

Kazuki and the others were also taking a seat at a suitable sofa. Mio sat at Kazuki’s right side, Koyuki sat at the left side, Lotte was being a bit lost so she sat on top of Kazuki’s lap.

Kazuki was, ‘Oi’, thinking so but she hugged Lotte from behind tightly.

“I wonder if everyone is here with this? …I called everyone here of course, because of none other than the matter of the Team Battle Election.”

Kaguya-senpai looked around at everyone from the center of the living room and she started the conversation.

“In this room, the preeminent champions of this academy are gathering en masse, but how will these members get divided into teams, I want us to discuss it here to decide. First of all, how many people among us that are going to become a candidate? Of course I get a recommendation for this election.”

“I am recommended too though.”

Hoshikaze-senpai raised her hand from the very beginning. There was no way this popular person wouldn't get recommended.

“That, you don’t have any intention to step down, right?”

“Yes. I lost when we fought for the seat of the Magic Division’s student council president, but this time I’ll win for sure against Kaguya, you’ll see!”

“Fufufu, what a fine courage…this time I’ll make Hikaru cry out a beautiful sound again!”

Kaguya-senpai grinned broadly and laughed towards Hoshikaze-senpai who was standing up, sparks were flying while they were staring down each other.

“I also received a recommendation, but I turned it down.”

The one who said that brusquely was Kanae who was leaning at the wall and crossed her hand.

“Why?” Kaguya-senpai asked her.

“That’s obvious. The only suitable person as the Chief Student Council President is Nii-sama after all. I mean, it’s not like I became the student council president because I wanted to be one in the first place. It’s only because when I was aiming to be the strongest in the Sword Division, they made me the president as they please, that was all.

“The same with me~”

Hearing Kanae’s words, Kamiizumi-senpai who was sitting languidly on the sofa just followed her blindly without care.

“These two are no good human whose good points are only their strength, all the practical work were pushed on to me just like that…”

Torazou-senpai who was sitting at the side of Kamiizumi-senpai powerlessly leaned on the back of the sofa with his exhaustion obvious to see.

“Then, Kana-chan is going to enter Otouto-kun’s team to fight together?”

“No…I’ll fight Nii-sama! …Nii-sama, you haven’t forget right, at the school entrance ceremony, about the oath we made that we are going to be rival from now on too!”

“I remember but…are we going to fulfill that promise in this tournament!?”

“For Nii-sama to stand at the top of this academy, you have to get through the wall that is me!”

Kanae took a step forward from the wall where she was leaning on and stared intensely at Kazuki with burning eyes.

“…With a powerful person like Kanae-san standing at the neutral position, it will become a dividing line between victory and defeat for they who are able to recruit her as a member. So in other words, the gist of this talk is something like that isn't it?”

When Hoshikaze-senpai murmured so, Kaguya-senpai was nodding strongly while saying “Correct! It’s just as you say!”

“I don’t want a bitter competition unfolding between powerful people, so like this I created a place where we all are gathering and talk it out between us. First I want everyone of us gathering here to declare their position whether they are a candidate or a free! Is Otouto-kun a candidate too?”

“Yes, I was recommended.”

…Although he didn't say who was the one that recommended him.

“I got neither recommendation nor announcing my candidacy desu.” “I am not too.” “…Same with me.”

In succession Lotte, Koyuki, and Mio, those group of three announced their position in turn. Mio was pouting a little in dissatisfaction. It seemed she wanted to get a recommendation from somebody.

“This is a chance that is hard to encounter, so isn’t it fine if you announce your candidacy?”

Koyuki glanced at Mio and said so.

When Mio made her self-introduction at the first day of the school, there was her proclamation that she was aiming for student council president.

“If I do that I won’t be able to form a team with Kazuki…at any rate I don’t have the feeling that I could win against Kazuki or Kaguya-senpai.”

“That’s unexpectedly realistic of you.” Koyuki made an amazed face while saying that.

“But student of Magic Division that can enter Kazuki-oniisan’s team is just one person right desu?”

When Lotte said that, those three were immediately glaring at each other.

Suddenly, Kazuki was being conscious of everyone’s positivity level. The positivity level graph floated in front of his eyes spontaneously.

Amasaki Mio―146 Lotte―114 Hiakari Koyuki―108 Otonashi Kaguya―88

Hoshikaze Hikaru―50 Tsukahara Kazuha―29

The height of Lotte and Koyuki’s positivity level enabled him to use the powerful [level 5 magic], while the high number of positivity level that Mio had reached the limit that enabled him to use the [level 7 magic] that even Mio herself still couldn’t use.

“For Hiakari, hadn’t you fought together alone with Kazuki constantly the other day at the academy’s underground? You should concede this time.”

“If you said that, didn’t Amasaki-san too had been in a party together with just Kazuki for a long time?”

“Then taking the interval, this is my turn desu.”

Against Lotte who attempted to profit from the fight between Mio and Koyuki, Mio intimidated her with “Nyaa-“.

Thereupon Lotte was barking “Wan!” cheerfully and Koyuki was muttering “Puu”.

Hoshikaze-senpai who was watching over the three quarreling with each other like their guardian laughed “Ahaha”.

“Well, rather than recruiting from the wan-nyaa-puu trio who are just entering the academy for one month, the second year students are stronger, but as I thought if I can I want to group together with the comrades from the Witch’s Mansion."

“I was recommended too, but I step back. The burden is too heavy.” “The same with me~”

Torazou senpai was going impossible impossible while waving his hand, following that Kamiisori-senpai was just continuing after him blindly.

“So all three of the Sword Division’s student council are not becoming a candidate. …No, if it’s like that then what will happen to the Sword Division’s student council now? Kanae is not the president anymore, isn’t it?”

Sudenly Kazuki noticed and asked. During the incident before where they fought against Naiarlatoteph, there was the happening of Kohaku defeating Kanae and usurping the political power of the Sword Division.

“Even now Kohaku is still the president. I have zero intention to return to that post. At last that burden was removed from my shoulder. From now on I am not chased anymore by any routine tasks and I can give my undivided attention to Nii-sama Love!”

Beside Kanae whose expression was so bright, Kohaku’s expression was darkening drastically.

“…At that time I had an objective and stolen the president’s seat, but now that it had become like this that position is nothing more than a burden. The routine tasks are a lot, it’s like everyday there are always opinion letters and life consultation brought by the students, I don’t remember all the name of the students…this one couldn’t possibly reach Kana-nyan-senpai’s charisma. Using this chance this one plan to resign from this position. And then this one will make a proposal for a democratic election to be carried out in the Sword Division from now on!”

“Na!? Wait a second, are you planning to abandon your post!?”

“This one will have Kana-nyan-senpai returned as the president by any means necessary! …For that reason regarding the Chief Student Council President too, this one had received recommendation from Mikohime-sama but I declined it.”

“My recommendation is useless in the end.”

At Kohaku’s side, Kazuha-senpai pouted her mouth.

“I too was conversely recommended by Kohaku but I stepped down. If someone like me announced my candidacy, I’d get laughed…”

This two close friend Kohaku and Kazuha were mutually recommending each other but it looked like both of them turned it down together.

“Then the candidates that are in this place are, me, Hikaru, and Otouto-kun, the three of us isn’t it? The number is unexpectedly few.”

“But I feel that based on the number of people this is just fine. Because we can divide the eleven people here into three teams.”

Everyone was nodding while Kaguya-senpai and Hoshikaze-senpai were counting the number on their fingers. There were eleven people in this room, so the calculation was that one team had to invite a swordsman from the external.

“Then, I’m entering Hikaru-senpai’s team desu!”

From among the group of three who were still glaring down each other, Lotte took a step back and hugged Hoshikaze-senpai.

Hoshikaze-senpai happily laughed and hugged her back. …It felt like seeing a prince and a princess.

“I really want to group together with Koyuki-chan. Because I have known her the longest among them.”

Kaguya-senpai gently took Koyuki’s hand. Koyuki was saying “Understood” and grasped back Kaguya-senpai’s hand.

“I’m together with Kazuki-!”

Mio looked as if she was being obstinate by herself alone and grabbed Kazuki’s arm.

“By any chance, is Mio worrying about me?”

“After all, when I’m not at your side, if Kazuki’s heart is stopping then…”

While clinging closely into Kazuki’s arm, Mio was looking down with a face that looked like it would burst into tears.

“…It’s fine you know, I won’t let something like my heart get stopped that easily.”

Kazuki smiled wryly while stroking Mio’s head with the intention to soothe her.

“Kazuki, add this one too as your comrade. And then when we gain the overall victory let’s get married.”

“If you stop pressing for marriage forcefully, then it’s fine to let you join too.”

“Muu… Understood.” Saying that with sour look, Kohaku was added into the team.

In panic, Kazuha-senpai came and flared up.

“Just wait wait wait, Kohaku! So you are entering the team of that shameless man!?”

“Mikohime-sama...Sorry, this one wanted to fight together with Kazuki.”

“I don’t have any acquaintance other than Kohaku in this place you know!? I got called here without even knowing the reason yet I am made to taste this solitude…Gr, group formation nightmare…!”

It seemed a strange trauma was stimulated inside Kazuha-senpai, her face was getting pale. Since a while ago Kazuha-senpai had been continuously felt uncomfortable in the Witch’s Mansion.

“Then enter this team together with this one!”

“Eh? Kazuha-senpai is going to enter my team, is that so?”

When Kazuki’s eyes opened wide in surprise, Kazuha-senpai was shouting “Don’t get misunderstanding!”

“It’s because I want to fight together with Kohaku! After all Kohaku is…she is my friend!”

“Mikohime-sama…to go as far as entering the same team with Kazuki that you dislike so with this one…”

Kohaku felt touched in her heart and stared at Kazuha-senpai.

“Then don’t call me Mikohime-sama I said! Call my name properly―!

“Ka, Kazuha-senpai…”

Kohaku who was not allowed to call Kazuha-senpai as mikohime was finally defeated decisively.

“I did it…! Though if you can I want you to call me Kazuha without honorific…!”

Kazuha-senpai did a little guts pose.

{GUWAHHAHHA, with this you two are not a master and retainer, but you two have become genuine friends right, Kazuha!}

The avatar of Futsunushi no Kami came out at Kazuha-senpai’s side and guffawed loudly.

Just like how Kohaku decided Kazuki as her future husband as she pleases, it seemed she also decided Kazuha-senpai as her master.

For some reason, Kohaku really had an extreme assumption, or perhaps he should say that she was a really straight person when she had decided something.

“Shut up you stupid Futsu no Kami! Don’t just come out as you please!!”

Kazuha-senpai’s turned bright red and she waved her hand (funfun!) around at Futsunushi no Kami’s avatar.

The charming and also reliable swordsmen duo was added into Kazuki’s team.

Seeing that situation from where she was leaning on the wall, Kanae walked and approached Kaguya-senpai’s direction.

“Oi, Kaguya. Enter me into your team.”

“Kana-chan is entering my team? So you are finally going to be my friend!?”

“Don’t misunderstand! I’m reluctant to be grouped together with you but…I have to do this to be the greatest wall for Nii-sama. For that sake I must create the strongest team!”

Kanae and Kaguya-senpai grasped each other’s hands tightly. Without doubt, the strongest team of this academy was formed right here.

“Oi, Iori. You too join us here.”

“Eh, I don’t want though~. Hoshikaze-san is way cooler! Though actually with Hayashizaki-kun is also fine~”

“That’s okay, come to me.” When Hoshikaze-senpai spread her hands with a princely smile, “Kyaa—“ Kamiizumi-senpai spring up from her chair and flew to Hoshikaze-senpai spiritedly.

“Fuh, it couldn’t be helped…Torazou. You’re just a leftover good-for-nothing but it’s sufficient.”

“…Rather than Kanae-kaichou, I too want to be at the prince Hoshikaze’s camp that looked gentler, they seemed better.”

“What are you saying? Hoshikaze-hikaru has a man-phobia you know? Have some consideration you idiot.”

Kanae dragged Torazou-senpai’s arm without letting him said his consent or refusal. Torazou-senpai was going “Ah, that’so” and consenting.

“Besides you like mature women and there is no woman here that is in your preference right? Don’t get so picky.”

“No, it’s not that I think of Hoshikaze-san in that way, it’s just that the president duo in this side is very scary, you see…”

“Torazou-kun? I am not scary at all you know?”

Kaguya-senpai was creeping near unnoticed behind Torazou-senpai, then she seized his head with both hands so suddenly.

“HIII!? Guernica-san is coming!”

“Wh, who are you calling Guernica-san!”

Kaguya-senpai was grinding Torazou-senpai’s head (guriguri) with a jolt.

“With this the division of the eleven people is over, I wonder. Though only my team is lacking one person.”

Hoshikaze-senpai said so after giving all present an once-over look.

Hayashizaki Kazuki – Amasaki Mio – Hikita Kohaku – Tsukahara Kazuha.

Otonashi Kaguya – Hiakari Koyuki – Hayashizaki Kanae – Yamada Torazou.

Hoshikaze Hikaru – Lotte – Kamiizumi Iori.

“The president duo team is a little bit scary but, our team is also not really bad isn’t it?”

Mio at his side was whispering at his earlobe. But Kazuki was harboring a faint anxiety, he knitted his eyebrows.

“Certainly we have strong members but…I have a feeling we will be influenced by the rule.”

“Rule?” said Mio while she tilted her head.

And then after the school end.

The candidates along with their team members were gathered at the auditorium.

The auditorium were standing tall at the inner part of the fountain square in the center of the academy, it was a remarkably splendorous building. With its classic brickwork, it was fine to say that this building along with the fountain square were the symbol of this academy.

The school entrance ceremony was carried out at the square in front of the fountain for the sake of the dragon handling performance, but large ceremonies like the student general meeting or the graduation ceremony were carried out in the auditorium.

Kazuki and the others, the total of eleven people were finally arriving in groups at the auditorium.

When the heavy door was opened, the auditorium was faintly bright from the indirect lighting that were installed on the high ceiling that drew a gentle curve, innumerable number of chairs were lined up facing the stage like a solemn theatre.

“There is still no one here but I wonder if there are other proper candidates? Most of the top ranker in the second year had been done in by Kaguya at duel, so they won’t even feel like coming already right? Ahaha.”

While sitting on the suitable seat, Hoshikaze-senpai was laughing.

“What done in, come on-, don’t say it like I am a yankee.”

Kaguya-senpai let out a huff.

Kaguya-senpai had received hypnotic suggestion that [she should be the strongest] from her father, the former headmaster Otonashi.

Because of the influence of that, it seemed that until now Kaguya-senpai had kicked around the other powerful people in duels.

“Moreover the number of people who didn’t want to fight Kaguya the second time after the battle with her is a lot you know?”

“Ah, I can understand that.”

Kazuki immediately held the same opinion. The spells lineup that would made people fainted in agony such as [Fruitless Flower of HatredFeel Pain], [Pitch Black of Self-MutilationSuicide Black], and [Double PainUltra Violence], the senses isolation from [Extreme Circle of Neighboring DeathNear Death Roulette], then while the opponent was suffering from all that they would be assaulted by [Darkness of the Bottom of the ShadowDeep Specter], all of that was a well-nigh horror. She wouldn’t use it at the duel against her fellow students but outcome such as [Hell Imaginary FireGuernica] was also accompanying her fight.

“Hoshikaze-senpai that is keep challenging such Kaguya-senpai however many times, there is no doubt, you are an M aren’t you?”

Koyuki was whispering such, hearing that Kazuki made a face of realization.

“Now that you say it…it’s like that isn’t it?”

“Wait, that is a misunderstanding you know, Hayashizaki-kun! Because, isn’t it frustrating to keep losing!!”

“That’s right, the prince is only being brave!”

From Hoshikaze-senpai’s side, a girl was suddenly putting out her face.

She was the member that Hoshikaze-senpai recruited, the Sword Division’s second year. Her name was Kimura Tomomi-san.

She had a small stature with braided hair, her atmosphere was like a naïve small-breed dog. With just one glance it was impossible to see her as a strong swordsman, but…seeing her leg muscle, he was able to guess that she was a fairly skilled.

“Wait a second Kazuki, where are you staring so intensely at!?”

Toward Kazuki who was secretly observing the body’s lower half of a female he was meeting for the first time, Mio pressed a question with her sharp eye.

“It’s just the leg muscle. Hayashizaki-sytle is a school that put importance in observing.”

“It’s that kind of fetish!? Pervert! …Even my legs are beautiful, see. Look here-.”

Mio turned her skirt lightly and revealed her beautiful slender legs. Though he didn’t have that kind of fetish at all.

“…Kazuki, make one wrong step with your speech before and you’ll become a mere pervert swordsman. Amasaki-san too, please don’t expose your legs so easily.”

Koyuki interjected with an amazed expression.

On the other side, Kimura-senpai continued in Hoshikaze-senpai’s defense heatedly.

“In order to defeat the evil student council president and clear away the darkness in this academy, the prince continued to fight against the unparalleled atrocious magic without faltering! Our fan club is always seeing that courageous back without fail!”

What an amazing passion. For some reason it seemed Hoshikaze-senpai fans at the Sword Division were also many.

“Among everyone of Hoshikaze Hikaru fans, I wonder if I’m being treated as the evil great demon king…?”

The corner of Kaguya-senpai’s lips was twitching hearing those words that were too much.

At Hoshikaze-senpai’s team, no need to mention Kimura-senpai, even Lotte and Kamiizumi-senpai were being held properly in Hoshikaze-senpai’s arms, the atmosphere around them felt even more like a harem than Kazuki.

“Certainly I who kicked around everyone indiscriminately became the student council president, but it’s not like I have particularly fight against all of the powerful people in this academy you know? For example like the Ryuutaki sisters…”

Kaguya-senpai who had pulled herself together started to talk.

“Well, those girls don’t have any reason to announce their candidacy for something like becoming the Chief Student Council President though, isn’t that right?”

“―Ara? I wonder if all of you are talking about us by some chance?”

At that time, coincident with the appearance of voice that had an impressive sense of presence even in the silence, the door of the auditorium was opening (giiii).

Accompanied by the light from the outside at their back, someone was showing up.

Just like speaking of the devil, Kaguya-senpai’s eyes opened wide in a great shock.

“Ryuutaki Miyabi-san and Ryuutaki-shinobu-san…”

It seemed they were most likely a twins, both of their face were really like two peas in a pod.

With their soft wavy long hair and their high and slender stature, they had an aura of refined high-class ladies. Symmetrical with their gorgeous impressions, there was alert sharpness inside those eyes with long-slit.

And then in spite of the spitting image of their build, hairstyle, and looks, there was also a contrast between them.

One side had black hair, while the other side had a silver hair that looked bright―an elf.

“These two always challenged a quest by forming a party with just the two of them you see. They left great track records, so it appears that they are considerably strong, however they never had a duel with anyone. They never try to connect with anybody else, always being just the two of them. They are quiet strange.”

Hoshikaze-senpai secretly whispered at Kazuki’s ear. Did they hear the whisper, the two of them were looking this way.

“The elf that is me is Miyabi, this is my twin little sister Shinobu. We are second year of the Magic Division.”

Miyabi-senpai immediately was looking only at Kazuki. Kazuki was faltering unintentionally.

Miyabi-senpai walked gracefully nearing at Kazuki’s position, the expressionless face that contained a sensuality somewhere was brought near Kazuki’s face and then she whispered into Kazuki’s ear.

It was a husky voice as if it was touching his ears.

“You are the one who killed the [Tentacle God] that brought forth the elves into this world, aren’t you?”

Kazuki was stunned involuntarily. Not to mention the existence of Naiarlatoteph, even the case about the human experiment that the former Headmaster Otonashi performed was not announced to the society. How could she know about that guy….

“For the sake of self-protection, I’m always putting information in order. After all, I had been aimed by a strange tentacle guy for a long time. It seems that guy wanted to make an elf like me who had been raised up safely as experiment material even more…. That’s why I have to give you my gratitude isn’t it?”

Right there Miyabi-senpai smiled widely.

“…If its fine for you, how about stop being Kaguya’s lover and come to my place?”

Miyabi-senpai reached her hand and stroked Kazuki’s cheek with manner of touching as if she was admiring a work of art.

“Onee-sama! …Keep the joke in moderation…!”

From the direction of the younger twins with black hair―Shinobu-senpai was drawing closer to Miyabi-senpai in fluster while shaking her wavy hair and remonstrated that hand.

Both of them had the same face, but in contrast with Miyabi-senpai who had a calmly relaxed expression, Miyabi-senpai had a grim look that seemed like she was always putting strength into her eyebrows.

“What do you mean a joke? I’m serious you know, he is a benefactor that had put down a sworn enemy of mine. There is no way I cannot feel overwhelmed with emotion in my heart from that.”

Floating a subtle smile, Miyabi-senpai was persistently directing a heated gaze toward Kazuki.

“Miyabi-san! …Miyabi-san and Shinobu-san doesn’t seem to have any interest toward something like the seat of Chief Student Council president, yet why are you here?”

Kaguya-senpai forced her way through at the middle as if to obstruct the way and inquired to Miyabi-senpai.

“True, I’m not interested at all. I think its fine even if this kind of academy ceased to function. It’s impossible to not feel a cold hate in this heart. Even the case about us not fighting anyone to this day is in order for us to not get endorsed to be something like student council president imprudently.”

“If that’s the case then why?”

Kaguya-senpai hugged Kazuki’s shoulder and pulled him closer to her own direction while asking.

“You don’t have any composure, eh.” While teasing Kaguya-senpai’s behavior like that,

“We are just get scouted you know? The one who is announcing their candidacy is the older brother gentleman of these brothers.”

The one who turned up in this place were not only the Ryuutaki sisters―it was only natural, because the team wouldn’t come into existence with just the two of them. A little late to the party, two male students entered the inside of the auditorium.

“Ta, Takasugi brothers!?” Kohaku shouted with an unpleasant expression.

The ones who appeared were male students of the Sword Division with solid build. With angular face and crew cut hair, they made a really obstinate face. Were they a twin too, both of them were also a splitting image of each other.

“Student Council President Hikita Kohaku…With yours and former president Hayashizaki Kanae’s way of doing, nothing had changed in the Sword Division! We are taking action in order to change the Sword Division with our own hands!”

“We will reform this academy that give maximum priority to the Magic Division in the true meaning! By us brothers!!”

The both shouted loudly out of nowhere.

“Takasugi Shūsui-senpai and Takasugi Harunari-senpai. Which is which brother, even this one couldn’t spot the difference. …They are a terribly radical [anti-Magic Division] advocates. It’s fine to say that they are already political activists even as students.”

Kohaku talked with a fed up face.

“Even Kohaku was a fairly radical anti-Magic Division wasn’t it? You even moved your plan to the next stage.”

“What I advocated was only something worthless if you compared it with these two! It’s like every day that they came to the student council room bringing their outrageous letter of opinion…more than half of this one’s anxiety is their fault…!”

Kohaku directed resentful eyes toward those two brothers. If she said until that far, then they might be that extreme.

As if they were responding to Kohaku’s stare, both of them made a fist tightly and shouted their opinion even though no one asked them.

“The Magica Stigma’s tyranny couldn’t be allowed even more than this! For the sake of the country’s existence, it is necessary to perform control toward Magica Stigma thoroughly! Not as human but as weapon!”

“Our advocacy is thus, for Magica Stigma to be deprived of their basic human rights!”

Deprivation of human rights―Kazuki reflexively doubted his own ears. These guys, what were they saying?

“Listen well! The most important thing for a modern nation is the complete separation between the <people> and the <military force>! So that nothing but the country could carry out the war, nothing but the country could wield the military power! Therefore soldiers have to be segregated from the general public, it is unacceptable for weapon to not be controlled and placed where the hand of ordinary person couldn’t reach them!”

“Soldiers and weapons are only permitted to wield their power for the sake of the country! This rule make the difference between crime and war! This is the greatest principle that make the distinction between a primitive community and a modern nation! Do you understand!?”

I don’t understand. Kazuki was dumbfounded. Kohaku was saying “They are starting again…” and breathed a sigh.

“Once at the old era, the military power was namely science! The whole member of the nation worked hard to invent resources, due to those hard works the scientific military power was reinforced, like that the created weapons could be handled by anyone! The fence between the soldiers with weapon mastery and general public was erased! Consequently the government and the citizens could easily control the military power! However right now is different!”

“Summoning Magic cannot be handled by anyone other than the Magica Stigma! That risk should be considered more carefully by the government! When all the Magica Stigma rebelled and bring forth a coup d’etat, the government won’t have any means to resist! Even when they are bombed by nuclear weapon, these are the people who are able to laugh in the center of the blast like it was nothing!”

“Therefore, we will see to it that the treatment of Magica Stigma as [emotionless weapon] is carried out as thorough as possible without exception! The Magica Stigma has to be imprisoned in a quarantine facility and dyed completely with ideology education, all their blood relatives restrained as hostages! Like this, the new form of the military force in this present era can be regulated!”

“Turn your eyes beyond the sea! The foreign countries throw away their states as a modern country, reduced to a religious country! By giving the Magica Stigma favorable treatment, our country too is in the process of committing the same folly! The correction of direction that is finally being done now is still lukewarm! Too lukewarm I say! We are going to become the Chief Student Council of this academy and change the society little by little! The symbol of the Knight Academy has the power to achieve that much!”

“You bastards! Do you have any reason to fight!? Any motive that could stand in equal with our sublime ideology!!?”

Right there the two became silent. It seemed their long speech was over.

These guys…were they really serious in saying all that?

They didn’t have any human trust at all toward the Magica Stigma, consequently they weren’t going to treat Magica Stigma as human, if it was not like that then the nation wouldn’t hold true―in short it was such irrational argument like that.

{Oi…Hayashizaki Kazuki. Absolutely don’t lose to these guys okay…}

Leme talked inside his head. Her tone of voice was oozing an obvious disdain.

“Wait a second, the tournament is nothing more than an appeal time, after the fight there will be a voting right? If these people spread around such claim, there will be no way anyone from the Magic Division is going to vote for them, so even if they get the overall victory in the tournament there is no way they would get elected, isn’t that the case? …It’s futile already from the very beginning, isn’t it?”

Hoshikaze-senpai whispered absent-mindedly. ….It’s futile already from the very beginning she said, that was a really accurate expression.

“We can’t really know, you know. The vote from the Magic Division is going to be distributed among all of us here, but if the votes from the Sword Division are concentrated in a heaps to them, then they might get elected. The Sword Division follow the doctrine of real strength after all, if these guys get the overall victory then that kind of concerning idea is…”

“Even if you say that they follow that doctrine of real strength however much, I don’t think even the Sword Division will have a thought until that far, though…”

Towards Kaguya-senpai’s apprehensions, Kohaku shook her head with a stiff expression.

“Fufufufufu. Interesting don’t you agree? What a young revolutionary these childs are.”

Miyabi-senpai suddenly leaked out a laughing voice. Kaguya-senpai glared at her sternly.

“Even though you too are a Magica Stigma, you are supporting these people’s view?”

“The miserable [victim] of Japan’s government [Magica Stigma absolutism] are us. Rather it’s fine even if such thing like this kind of country is toppled over completely right from its roots. We as the elves have the right to wish for that. Isn’t it so, Hiakari-san.”

Miyabi-senpai slid her sight toward Koyuki who was an elf like her.

As if to oppose her, Koyuki gripped Kazuki’s sleeve tightly.

“Lamenting my own circumstances, peeving, begrudging someone else, I had already stopped doing all of those. Because there is a certain someone, someone who thought of me as precious for him had found me.”

Miyabi-senpai opened her eyes wide slightly, then she once again looked at Kazuki.

“…Hayashizaki Kazuki. As I thought you are an interesting child. To do something like embracing an elf until this point. It makes me also want to try to be tamed just like this.”

“Nee-sama, please cut it out! …Besides…such thing like an elf…”

“What are you sulking about? Well then, how about we take a seat, Shinobu.”

Toward Shinobu-senpai whose expression became increasingly grim, Miyabi-senpai pulled her arm along with gentle expression and took seats at a place separated from Kazuki and groups. Takasugi brothers were following along after them.

When they passed by in front of Kazuki and groups on their way, they bared their eyes wide and glared at Kazuki.

“…We appreciate your opinion, but we are not able to approve that kind of view after all.”

Kazuki informed such toward the four eyes of those two fellows that were glaring at him.

“Is that so. If we are running counter with each other then it is until the fight! Don’t you know, in the present where alchemy had reduced the burden toward the earth resources, the war that human race caused is all become carried out purely for ideology rivalry!”

“We will surely teach you how powerless that sword of yours which lack ideology!”

“That’s a cool exchange, but these guys are small fries as swordsman you know, Nii-sama.”

Kanae whispered with a sigh. Takasugi brothers’ face became bright red and their appearance became filled with fury but―without saying anything back they sat behind the Ryuutaki sisters.

“Nii-sama, what Takasugi brothers advocated is unpleasant, but what is troublesome might be those Ryuutaki sisters.”

That was, from the appearances those sisters were clad in, even Kazuki could somehow understood.

“With this there are four teams. It’s not like we cannot do a tournament with this number but, this is still very lonely isn’t it? I wonder if even more will comee-?”

Hoshikaze-senpai turned back toward the door entrance of the auditorium while shading her eyes with her hand at the forehead and playing the fool.

“Hya—hahha! If you wish for that then we are coming ze!”

“Uwa, don’t get so carried away!?” Hoshikaze-senpai’s eyes opened wide.

The character who opened the door wide while laughing wildly was not just one person. A large number of follower were following along steadily at her back. They were a mix of Magic Division and the Sword Divison students, a group numbered of several tens of students.

“Kaguya-chan yoo―, we won’t let you off from ignoring us and introducing yourself as this academy’s strongest zee! I’m going to teach you your place with this tournament for suree-!”

That was what the female Magic Division student that stood at the head of the group said.

“Right rightt―, anekii―”

At her side, a female student of the Magic Division said so with a child-like attitude.

“Mibu Akira-san and…Asamiya Anna-san…?”

“Hyuu―! Kaguya-chan, to remember the names of the like of us, I’m happy ze!”

“Kaichou-sama is overly serious after all, she surely remembered something like the name of all the studentss―, anekii―”

The person that was called aneki was tall, while the other person that acted like a child was contrastively short, they were two people that when he looked at them, the word uneven was raising in his head.

“You know, something like memorizing all of yours name….remember how many times I had given all of you a warning. You people are problem children after all.”

Kaguya-senpai who was entangled with such people that acted so crudely talked with bitter face.

“Problem children?” Kazuki asked from the side.

It had been one and a half month since he entered the academy, the strictness of this national academy could be understood quickly from his experience. This academy was raising the knights who would become the cornerstone of the country’s defense after all, so something like allowing the students to backtalk couldn’t be done.

Was something like problem children existed in this academy?

“It’s not like they are delinquents who play hooky in class, or picking fight or committing crime inside the school, but…these girls is not participating at all in duel or quest. They are students who are non-cooperative with the school’s activity. The tall person is Mibu Akira-san, the short person is Asamiya Anna-san.”

“It’s just that we particularly want to pass our time in a normal high school activity zee. We have no obligation to do any quest, isn’t that rightt―. It’s so tiresomee― you knoww―. Don’t you dare look at us like we are rotten apple just because we are not participating in something like thatt―”

“Right rightt―, anekii―. That way of talking, these honor students is so irritating huhh―”

Mibu-senpai and Asamiya-senpai’s eyes contained a wildness somewhere, they constantly talked twistedly and floated a sarcastic expression. Even though they had a pretty face if they just smiled normally.

There was no obligation for duel or quest―that was because there still was a strong opposition from the society for students of the knight academy to be forced into a real battle.

If a student graduated from the knight academy when they still had low-rank, it would have a major affect toward their career promotion as a knight. Even so if the student himself didn’t mind and rejected the quest and duel, even the academy itself couldn’t do anything strict.

It was a little too exaggerated to call them delinquent, but they seemed really like it.

“In the Knight Academy, even if you didn’t have any aspiration to become a knight, but as long as an <enigma> appeared on you, you don’t have any right of refusal and you are forced to enroll, so…this kind of students also come out as a result. Even so I want them to live their school life positively, that’s why sometimes I called them, but…”

Kaguya-senpai talked with a complicated face.

Kazuki reflexively looked down at his own enigma on the back of his left hand.

Once I too had experienced enrolling into this academy reluctantly.

Even inside his own heart, there was once a feeling of sympathy toward the words of Mibu-senpai and Asamiya-senpai.

That was why he couldn’t act as if he could careless until that far.

“It’s just, to that extent every one of these girls has low ranks but, their real strengths are still unknown.”

For Ryuutaki sisters, because they frequently raised results in quests, they were still known as powerful people. But in regards to that, it seemed Mibu-senpai and her group was completely unknown about their real strength.

Mibu-senpai and her group was standing at the lead and chattered away as they pleased. But even at their backs a line of a large number of students were gradually forming. It looked like there were several tens of people from the Magic Division and the Sword Division there.

“Err, those students at the rear, are all of them also delinquents too?”

“…They are associating with those kinds of children but, it looks like some not so normal children are also mixing there. What in the world are their purpose here?”

Kaguya-senpai made a dubious face. Certainly it was unexpected for the participants to appear like this.

“Nii-sama.” Kanae too was getting near Kazuki’s ear.

“The swordsmen of the Sword Division that are gathering there, rather than saying that I know them as powerful people, it feels like they are quite a plain groups isn’t it? There is no rank-system in the Sword Division though, so I don’t really know their strength clearly.”

Because of the restriction that the students of the Sword Division couldn’t challenge the quest without being together with the student of Magic Division, even the rank system was not created.

For a long time until now, the Sword Division was treated only as the addition of the Magic Division.

Different with the Magic Division who was filled with just female students, male and female was mixing in the Sword Division. When he was surveying the crowd that were wearing the uniforms of the Sword Division, suddenly, Kazuki sensed a strong gaze being poured on him.

Kazuki too sent his eyes toward the owner of that gaze, his eyes met with the source.

That female students was looking at Kazuki, she was making a slightly shocked face.

Strong surprise could be felt, however her expression was as if it couldn’t be allowed to come to the surface and she was enduring her surprise.

This person was…. No, more precisely this person’s body build, and the impression of her muscle’s composition…. However she pretended not to notice how her eyes met with Kazuki and averted her eyes with pretending face. Rather if she did something like that, that was, well, she was really surprised wasn’t it?

“Looks like all the candidates have gathered.”

Right there Liz Liza-sensei appeared on the stage holding a megaphone

As always she was a very tiny child-like sensei even when they were looking up to the stage from below.

“Ehem. Ladies and gentlemen of the chosen trashes, the explanation of the battle election is going to be carried out. Take a seat, refrain from unintelligent idle talk and dig up the hole of your ears.”

Receiving the instruction from Liz Liza-sensei that was accompanied with pointless abusive language, Mibu-senpai and the others were taking a seat too.

“First…the Chief Student Council President battle election is a team tournament between four-person teams where each team are consisted of two students of the Magic Division and two students of the Sword Division. The common students are going to watch the manner of how you fight in this tournament and then a voting will be carried out. This voting is going to be carried out at the student’s general meeting. Because of how important it is for the students to watch the match unobtrusively, we won’t invite audience from outside of the school like in the inter-division opposition match.”

The event this time was not a festival merrymaking event, to the end this was a strict and rigid situation.

“Originally the student general meeting is arranged at the middle of this month, but it is postponed where it is going to be carried out in the end of this month. The tournament is…the numbers of the candidates are sixteen people, sixteen teams. With the number of these teams, the first round is eight matches, the second round is four matches, the semifinal is two matches, and then the final…that is how the form of this tournament becomes.”

A white screen was lowering (sa―) behind Liz Liza-sensei, on the screen the tournament chart was projected with the overall champion at the top and sixteen branches below it.

To achieve the overall victory, a team must win through four matches in total.

Kazuki observed the seats. There were sixteen teams of four people, those were why there were 64 students gathering here in this place.

All of them were students that were seriously gathering with intention to win against Kaguya-senpai and Hoshikaze-senpai.

“The first round will be held at Wednesday in the third week of May, the second round is at Friday of the same week, with weekend in between the semifinal would be at Monday in the week after that, and then the final will be conducted at the Wednesday. The pace is three matches in a week, you got that? After that is the student’s general meeting. From the next month, the Knight Academy is going to move under the new Chief Student Council President.”

The auditorium became a little noisy. Within this schedule, an important meaning was hidden.

A pace of three times a week. It meant that there was nothing more than a day after the first match ended until the next match.

There was some individual difference, but if someone used their magic power until rock bottom he would need around two days for a full recovery. With a pace of advancing through three matches in a week, there was the possibility that they couldn’t recover their magic power.

To skillfully preserved their magic power while winning through their matches was a must.

“It’s not a one day tournament. How troublesome.”

…At his side Kaguya-senpai was whispering a frightening thing without hesitation.

If they did something that hardcore, people that fell into magic intoxication would appear one after another you know?

“The rule of the matches is following about the same rule of duel. The venue will use each of the Magic Division and the Sword Division’s grounds, only the finals will be held at the fountain square.”

Because duel was conducted with 50 meters distance between the two opponents, a fairly large place was needed. That location had satisfied that condition, on top of that because of the need of installing audience seats around the arena, it was perfectly suited for the event this time.

“However as a special measures for this time only, the Magic Division’s student were prohibited from using weapon, the same held true with the Sword Division’s student using magic sword―in short fighting only using the combination of weapon skill and common magic. This is for the sake of observing how the leader would control a different two units. Each team’s leaders are obviously going to be assumed by the candidates. And Sacred Treasures too, for the sake of fairness its use is prohibited.”

As he thought that kind of rule was really coming―

“…I, it’s a lie right…”

From the seat behind Kazuki, a voice in a stupor could be heard.

When he turned back, Kazuha-senpai’s face was going pale.

Whether Kazuki’s team was strong or weak was depending on whether this kind of special rules was attached or not.

Kazuki who was specializing in kenjutsu despite being Magic Division, Kazuha-senpai who could summon Futsunushi no Kami despite being Sword Division, and then Kohaku who owned seven pieces of Sacred Treasures and able to use them all skillfully without restriction…this team was assembled around irregular existences only. When the situation developed where Mio was the only one who could exhibit her real power like this, whether they could still win against the senpais’ teams in the end was…

Well, could it still be called fair with this kind of happening.

Hayashizaki Kazuki―had to fight not as the swordsman of the Magic Division, but as a pure Magica Stigma, that was how it turned out.

“The referee is the teachers, but [Battle Election Control Committee] is going to be organized. That’s all. Is there any question?”

Toward Liz Liza-sensei’s question, the auditorium only returned a total silence (shi―n).

“In that case, the anticipated lottery is going to be carried out next. Rise up you trashes!”

“Hyahhaa―! It’s lottery zee―!” Mibu-senpai thrust up both her fist and yelled.

“What will we get what will we get, anekii―!” Asamiya-senpai too followed her with a loud voice.

What’s with them?

“Balls that were written with number are entered inside this box, take it in turn. Those numbers are the match number. First is starting from Otonashi Kaguya, come!”

Liz Liza-sensei held up and showed the box with both hands, then she called Kaguya-senpai.

Kaguya-senpai stood on the stage and took out a ball…”It’s two.” She said.

At the column of <Round 1 Match 2> in the tournament’s chart, letters of <Team Kaguya> and characters was surfacing.

Following her, Kazuki was called. When he took out a ball, its number was…”It’s one.”

At the column of <Round 1 Match 1>, <Team Kazuki> and his name were carved.

In other words he was going to fight the first round against a team that would pull out the same number with him, in the second matches the probability of him clashing early against Kaguya-senpai was high.

Following him, Hoshikaze-senpai stood on top of the stage, “Five huh” she informed.

Hoshikaze-senpai got the fifth match in the first round. If she was going to fight against Kazuki, they wouldn’t get the chance until the final.

When the teams of the Witch’s Mansion were done called up, next was Mibu Akira-senpai who was called to the top of the stage.

“I’m six zee―! What a good-for-nothing number, hyahhaa―! Fuck you mee-n!”

With unclear tension, Mibu-senpai’s name was carved into the column of the sixth match. If by some chance Mibu-senpai won through the first round, it seemed she would fight against Hoshikaze –senpai at the second round.

Takasugi Shūsui was called next. He declared “Three!” with a loud voice.

If by some chance Kazuki defeated Kaguya-senpai, there was a chance he would face against Miyabi-senpai and her group in the semifinal.

Of course there might be a chance that other powerful people were still in hiding, but―the other teams was pulling out the lottery in succession, the remaining columns in the tournament chart were filled one after another.

“With this the explanation meeting is over. After this in the period until the matches begin, begin your own special training.”

Leaving behind those words in the end, Liz Liza-sensei exited the stage.

Just when the explanation meeting ended, Hoshikaze-senpai and Kazuha-senpai drew near Kazuki’s position.

“Hayashizaki-kun, I have something to discuss, is it fine?”

“Hayashizaki Kazuki! Th, there is something I want to discuss!”

After the two were looking at each other “Please, feel free” “N, no please you can go first” they became polite and started pushing their turn to each other.

During that interval where Kazuki was gazing at the two vacantly, the cell phone inside his pocket was vibrating.

“Please, you can start first.” Hoshikaze-senpai conceded her turn even further with pleasant behavior.

With how the net communication and foreign trade with countries overseas came to an end, the development unique to Japangalapagosization was happening again with cell phone. Under the new domestic platform, various enterprises and workshops were manufacturing and selling a great variety of model as they pleased.

Kazuki’s favorite model was not the so-called multi-purpose devicesmartphone, but the fixed button style devicegarakee that only stressed the telephone call and mailing function. Household account book application was installed in it, an item that was really housewife-like.

What he received in his cell phone was a mail from Liz Liza-sensei. So that students could accept the contact from the academy and quest counter anytime, all of the students contact addresses were known by the teachers.

{After this, come to the conference room at the academy’s main building. Secretly.}

It looked like the message was also sent to Kaguya-senpai at the same time.

“Hoshikaze-senpai, Kazuha-senpai, I have a little errand to do.”

“Understood. It’s fine, it’s fine. Then lend me your time around tonight at the Witch’s Mansion, ‘ka―y!”

“Then, then I will come around tomorrow, please…!”

Hoshikaze-senpai with a clear smiling face, and Kazuha-senpai with voice that seemed to vanish, both of them saw off Kazuki who exited the auditorium.

Kaguya-senpai came along at his side, she linked her hand with Kazuki’s and grasped it tightly.

“Otouto-kun, you got the mail too aren’t you? Let’s go together-!”

Kazuki suddenly remembered the first time he met Kaguya-senpai, at that time she too suddenly linked her hand with his.

I wonder how much she saved myself who was just enrolling into this academy at that time with this kind and amiable personality. There was also the awkward situation where he fought Kaguya-senpai, but he felt really happy that he could recover this current relation back once more.

“What are you smiling about?” Kaguya-senpai came to ask with a gentle expression.

It’s nothing, like that he waved his hand and went out of the auditorium.

―If it was Kaguya-senpai however, she would want to take a detour on the way here.

“You are late, you up-and-coming trash and top class trash!”

The moment they stepped into the conference room, Liz Liza-sensei jeers were hurled.

The one she meant as up-and-coming was himself, while the top class was referring to Kaguya-senpai, was that what she meant?

“I really missed getting insulted at like this by Liz Liza-senseii-. Liz Liza-sensei was the one in charge of me last year you know? She was a teacher that behaved with frightening look and treating everyone with contempt because of her concern of her tiny body, but the truth is that she is a kind and cute and reliable teacher I love her♡”

“Even I know how Liz Liza-sensei is a kind teacher you know? Because I have received various helps from her until now.”

“…Stop saying such idiotic thing and quickly sit.”

Liz Liza-sensei raised her eyebrows and yelled, Kazuki and Kaguya took the seats at the table side-by-side.

“As a former knight, Westwood-sensei is the teacher with the best track record in this academy. Certainly she has an appearance that is easy to get on with, but don’t forget to pay your respect to her.”

Headmaster Amasaki was also inside the room. Both teacher was facing Kazuki and Kaguya right from the front.

“This had really become such a suspicious affair.”

Headmaster Amasaki talked all of a sudden while leaning his body forward.

“What you meant as suspicious, is it about the battle election that will be held?”

“That’s right. I mean in our position, we planned to decide the Chief Student Council President with a really commonplace general election.” …But the newly appointed Board Chairman that just came was against it, and it became like that in the end.”

Headmaster Amasaki made his old wrinkled face even more wrinkled, then he hit the table with his ferocious rage plain to see. …Scary!

“Until now there is no interaction between the two divisions, so the Magic Division don’t know anything about the Sword Division, the Sword Division don’t know anything about the Magic Division, because of that it is unproductive even if we do something like a general election, so let’s conduct a tournament so we could see the strength and leadership as a knight, that guy made such an opinion!”

“Isn’t that a really sound argument?” “That’s right isn’t it, that’s a sound argument isn’t it?”

Kazuki and Kaguya-senpai unintentionally matched their voice.

“Because it’s a sound argument it made me angry! Making such a sound argument grandly in front of the other teachers, I couldn’t kill that proposal no matter how much I tried! How dare he throw mud in my face even though he is just a new appointment!”

Oi, oi, what in the world are you saying, this frightening influential person.

“You know in my position, if I spread a propaganda about how you defeated Otonashi Kaguya while holding an election, there is no doubt that you will get elected, then I thought of an ideal outcome where Otonashi Kaguya would support you at your side. Despite all of that now a possibility that others student who could care less would get elected suddenly come to the fore!”

“No, for a teacher to do something like backing a specific student is unbecoming you know…”

Though his remark about [others student who could care less], as expected it was not really a thoughtless words wasn’t it?

“Muu, so there was such an intention was it, to make me as the foil…”

Kaguya-senpai furrowed her eyebrows as much as she could, she also pouted her cheeks to the limit. Her dissatisfaction was demonstrated a lot in her face. It was Kaguya-senpai who was greatly in indignation and furious.

“Errr…Kaguya-senpai, please don’t make extremely strange face like that even though you have an extremely rare beauty.”

Kazuki soothed her from the side, but “Otouto-kun-!” Kaguya-senpai turned that face to Kazuki’s direction. She looked like a manju when seen right from the front. Her cheeks were soft after all so she could inflated her cheeks until that much.

“I, I didn’t lose to Otouto-kun after all! When I lost my senses and fought Otouto-kun, it looked like Otouto-kun won, however if I am in the state where my reasoning is recovered and overflowing with intelligence, then I am the stronger side! I am still the senpai and Otouto-kun is my pupil!”

“About how senpai said that you are not in your sense at that time, does senpai not really remember about that fight?”

“I don’t remembe―r. I remember Otouto-kun with a cool face in a cute way, however you embraced me with a powerful arm of a boy and said [I love you] to me, other than that I don’t remember anythi―ng.”

“Senpai really remember important moment with pinpoint accuracy huh? Though I don’t particularly plan to withdraw.”

“That’s why! It’s no good for Otouto-kun to get carried away! I am the Onee-san still!”

“Ye, yes. Let’s fight fair and square in the tournament.”

Kazuki faced back to the teachers while poking Kaguya-senpai’s inflated cheeks repeatedly.

“…With that as the case, is there any problem by doing the tournament normally?”

“Fun, it might be okay for me to be the bad guy if you two said something like fair and square, but even for me, I don’t particularly mind if Otonashi Kaguya or Hoshikaze Hikaru become the Chief Student Council President. But…the new board chairman that was dispatched here from the government let out this kind of opinion, and then in response to that a great number of students announced their candidacy. Those who announced their candidacy were every one of the delinquent students of the Magic Division. Do you think those guys have the will to lead the new academy if they really become the Chief Student Council President? Do you think it’s not suspicious?”

Kazuki finally noticed what was this shrewd new headmaster was being apprehensive of.

It was wrong to have a prejudice against students because they were a delinquent, however….

When Kaguya-senpai too also reached the same thought of Kazuki, Headmaster Amasaki said.

“The newly appointed board chairman and, the students who were suddenly announcing their candidacy might be in contact with each other. For the purpose of backing a puppet student council president that will move according to the new board chairman intention. Consequently he would take possession of this academy. So you are being concerned of that kind of risk, right?”

“That’s how it is.” Headmaster Amasaki nodded.

The new board chairman might be bribing the delinquent students. If the new board chairman and the Chief Student Council President were being in cohort with each other, then Headmaster Amasaki’s position would be in danger too. In shorts, the Knight Academy’s hegemony was being aimed.

“Not only the delinquent students, the Takasugi brothers of the Sword Division were also announcing their candidacy.”

The content of what they were speaking was another matter, but those people had a strong will.

“The name of the new board chairman is Takasugi Takayoshi. …The father of those brothers.”

“…I see.” Kazuki reflexively made a sour face.

“The new Board Chairman Takasugi at first made the proposal to just make the winner of the tournament as the Chief Student Council President. We were objecting against that point and in the end it was shaped so a voting will also be held after the tournament. Surely it is a good thing for all the students to be granted a chance. However this Knight Academy is not a normal academy. A strange conspiracy must not be allowed behind the cover of sound argument. It will be a trouble if this important agency for the country is misappropriated like like the Headmaster Otonashi once did. …Ah, sorry.”

Kaguya-senpai felt completely desponded because her father was bad talked, Headmaster Amasaki glossed it over in fluster.

Until now the Knight Academy under the guidance of former Headmaster Otonashi gave preferential treatment toward the Magica Stigma, that action made its influence even until the tide of the society and the Knight Order set-up.

The influence of the National Knight Academy couldn’t be made light off just because at most they were only children of an academy. The students who graduated this academy would form the only national defense organization of this country, the Knight Order, the member of the student council and the Rank A students were also promised an elite course in that organization.

If someone controlled the Knight Academy, it could be said that he controlled the future of the Knight Order.

It was such an important nation agency, and that was why…the Knight Academy headmaster and the board chairman was nominated to appropriate people. The former Headmaster Otonashi too, originally he was a government’s high official that commanded a secret human experimentation project under the government.

Headmaster Amasaki too had a tune of trying to appropriate the Knight Academy, however…if the aim of Headmaster Takasugi was to ride the current’s momentum of the recent public opinion and stir it toward the direction of [Magica Stigma’s human right deprivation], it was a really terrible thing.

“Possibly…Hayashizaki Kazuki, a lot of people is still half in doubt regarding your power, but there is also the possibility that someone want to weaken your power and position by raising other candidates as obstacles. For the purpose of making you failed to become the Chief Student council.”

“You can’t mean…to do something like that intentionally for someone like me…”

“It’s not an exaggeration. Just like I and Headmaster Otonashi in the past, people who are unable to stomach the existence of [the King of Magica Stigma] also exist. If I had to say more…to make an example from the old world, you are like a new weapon that is in the process of development. A nuclear weapon, something like that. The other Magic Advanced Countries that had sniffed about you through their spies, there might be such an existence of foreign country like that who supported Board Chairman Takasugi. What I mean by suspicious is including the matter until that far. You, is there nothing suspicious that happened around you?”

“If we talk about suspicious matter, before this, there is only that attack from a strange person that stopped my heart.”

When Kazuki dropped that sentence so suddenly, the atmosphere of that place was freezing all of a sudden.

“Sorry but just now, what did you say? I don’t really get it.”

“Ah, no, before this, I was attacked by a suspicious woman wearing black completely from her head to toe, my heart got stopped, then I got resuscitated back by Mio.”

“I, I never heard of that incident you know!? Did you report that case properly!?”

“…I completely forgot to report it. Because I strongly thought that the next time I encounter her again I will catch her completely and exposed her true identity.”

“Are you an idiot!? Do you not understand your own value!? Far from being an obstacle in the battle election, they had already try to assassinate you!!”

Kazuki was rather surprised toward Headmaster Amasaki’s angry look.

…My own value. It was something that he himself didn’t understand, yet this person gave his recognition over it.

“Otouto-kun…why are you being that calm after something like that?”

Kaguya-senpai too sent a reproaching gaze right from his side.

“But even if I reported it to the Knight Order in the neighborhood of the Knight Academy, they won’t be able to come immediately anyway.”

Because there was the case that the students of the Knight Academy had been acting as the agent of the Knight Order through doing their job in the form of quest, the deployment of knight in the surrounding area of the Knight Academy was thin. They were foisting the lack of manpower to the academy.

“…It had really become very suspicious huh. Even these few days there was the assault incident against the students in this Knight Academy happening. Both of these cases might have a connection.”

…Kazuki was attacked when the rare day where he was going out was sniffed, that was why that assassin must be someone who was connected with the academy. Headmaster Amasaki had that kind of conjecture. Kazuki too also had some clue.

Even in the other case where the students were assaulted, all of it happened at the outside of the range of the security cameras. The meticulous way the perpetrator worked with how they perfectly grasped the blind spot of the security camera, it was impossible to achieve for someone unconnected with the academy, something like that.

Thereupon certainly these two cases might be connected.

However if that was the case, putting aside the objective of the assault at Kazuki, what seemed to be the objective in attacking other students? All of the victim students were managed to escape safely. What kind of badness might be lurking inside these performances? Was that assassin really so incompetent to that degree?

“The battle election proposal due to the newly coming board chairman, the students with unknown strength that suddenly show willingness and announced their candidacy, the assassin that assaulted Hayashizaki Kazuki, the assault incident of three students…there are too much strange things happening in succession. All of these might be connected by one piece of string.”

Liz Liza-sensei compiled all of the suspiciousness and informed them.

“Do we know anything of Board Chairman Takasugi’s personal history?”

When Kazuki inquired about the character in the middle of this upheaval, Headmaster Amasaki let out a huffing breath.

“Obviously I know. He is a man with deep connection with a political organization name <Will of Sword PartyKenshitou>. This Kenshitou is opposed toward the preferential treatment of the Magica Stigma, they extended their influence by riding the decline of the Stigmata Absolutism faction and are rapidly making their advocacy more extreme.”

The advocacy that Takasugi brothers spewed out before was also perfectly matching with Kenshitou’s policy.

“We know what they are looking for at this battle election. But to go as far as attempting to assassinate Hayashizaki Kazuki…I doubt they are going that far for the battle election. The one that gained the most from killing Hayashizaki Kazuki are the foreign countries. Kenshitou might have a black connection with other Magic Advanced Country. But it’s not simple to understand something like this even if we investigate their background.”

Board Chairman Takasugi was behind the students who were suddenly announcing their candidacy, then there was Kenshitou behind Board Chairman Takasugi, and then behind their back there might be another Magic Advanced Country….

This was not a problem with shallow origin.

If that was the case, it was not like he wanted to vindicate himself however, when he played a trick on that assassin and obtained information, wasn’t it unexpectedly turned out to have a big significance.

“The assassin that came aiming for me used Chinese Kenpo. That’s why I think there is a high chance that she was originating from China.”

Hearing Kazuki’s words, the three people that was hanging their head down spontaneously raised their head with shocked face.

“…<Chūkadou> country huh?”

Chūkadou―the nearest Seven Magic Advanced Countries from Japan.

The country that was once called the People’s Republic of China, due to the arrival of this age of magic they encountered the object of their faith in the ancient time, the immortal mountain wizard of <Taoism>, the structure of their government changed from <communism> to <Taoism doctrine>, even the name of their country was replaced with Chūkadou.

However the teaching of Taoism became their political principle, even as a religious country their government was dyed with a powerful <Sinocentrism>, that China was the center of the world and all countries should be unified into China, such ideology was held as the religion that they were faithful to, they were said to be the most dangerous among the Magic Advanced Country.

Beatrix said about an unreasonable country that it wouldn’t be strange for that country to send assassin for Kazuki.

Looking at it geographically and also the ideology, the foremost contender that was going to attempt something like this, there was nothing else other than Chūkadou.

“From the olden days Japan is said to be a [spy heaven], but…. There are a lot of Kenshitou’s politician that have the personal support of China, are you telling me those guys are the one that caused this chain of events?”

Kaguya-senpai knitted her eyebrows in worry.

To say that Kenshitou and China had an illicit connection, and that the assault at Kazuki and this uproar of the battle election was tied with each other were nothing more than just a speculation that rose to the surface.

But when a concrete figure like China became visible, the weirdness was immediately increasing.

“This present state of affairs probably can be said that it came from the defeat of Naiarlatoteph and how the political influence of the former Headmaster Otonashi and his faction was falling. We might have opened a Pandora Box.”

Liz Liza-sensei talked with a complicated expression.

The former Headmaster Otonashi and his faction regarded the Stigmata as something absolute and he even performed human experimentation for the sake of creating even stronger Magica Stigma, but...at the same time they might also became a deterrent against China. They were also included among those who led the diplomacy and the country’s defense until now.

The one who caused this political chaos completely was none other than Kazuki and the others.

“It would be great if all of this are just a needless anxiety. There are also a lot of parts that are just speculation. ...However if the situation is really like what we are thinking, no matter what happen you three must win through anyone in your way. Preventing the assasination of Hayashizaki Kazuki, protecting the seat of the Chief Student Council President, those are the current absolute objectives.”

Headmaster Amasaki talked with a grave tone of voice.

At this late hour, Kazuki finally felt that he was dragged into the middle of an affair so big that he couldn’t even imagine.

Which reminded him, even when he was enrolling into this academy, there was something that he asked to himself.

―Why, for what kind of purpose he obtained this kind of power?

Right now, Kazuki’s stigmata was starting to bring even greater power and meaning from what it once before.

“Otouto-kun...for some reason you are looking very thoughtful?”

The time was already evening. While returning home to the Witch’s Mansion, Kaguya-senpai talked concernedly.

“Just because I have a special power, it’s fine to not get worked up even if I do something unreasonable you know―That’s the kind of face that you seem to make, as I thought, Otouto-kun is still too early to become something like a student council president. You still have some way to go, so I will protect Otouto-kun.”

Kaguya-senpai grasped Kazuki’s hand tightly. A gentle warmth…if he depended on senpai like this, maybe everything would become more comfortable. However Kazuki had known already, that even senpai had been continuously carrying a heavy burden alone until now in hardships.

“No, I too want to protect senpai.”

The answer he found at the fight from before. That was [the power in order to protect the important things].

Kazuki squeezed back Kaguya-senpai’s hand strongly, Kaguya-senpai took a long hard look at Kazuki.

“…Geez! Again with that coolly cute appearance! Just because you had become a little stronger you overreached yourself once more!!”

Kaguya-senpai waved around her hand that was connected with Kazuki as if she was getting embarrassed.

Translator's Notes and References

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