A One-Man Debate

Could the sun have risen in the west today?

He wasn't sure.

But the direction of the sunset was still west, no doubt about it.

Still, since he was visiting someone's home, he naturally couldn't go empty-handed.

Mahiro ordered a chocolate cake from the café beside the station that he frequented.

When the cake was ready and he was carrying it back, he suddenly sensed something off.

"How long are you planning to follow me? Are you intending to come home with me?"

Turning toward the utility pole some distance away, Mahiro's voice carried a hint of mockery.

"Ahaha, so you noticed..."

Under his gaze, a figure gradually emerged from the shadows beneath the utility pole.

It was a woman.

Though this was a conservative era, the woman standing there was dressed somewhat retro, and somewhat provocatively.

She wore a dark coat over a thin white blouse that barely concealed her curvaceous figure. Two buttons at her chest had been undone as if they were about to burst apart, revealing faint glimpses of the contours beneath.

Her lower half was clad in a short skirt, beneath which were a pair of voluptuous thighs tightly wrapped in sheer pantyhose.

She looked like an office lady who had just gotten off work.

"Haruka Ono-sensei?"

"I didn't expect a Yotsuba student to recognize me..."

The woman, who had a youthful face and an alarmingly ample chest, awkwardly touched her hair as though trying to make conversation.

If he remembered correctly, Haruka Ono was the homeroom teacher of Class 1-E.

There should have been no connection between her and him, a student from Class A.

"So, Haruka Ono-sensei, why are you following me this late at night? Looking at how tempting you're dressed... don't tell me you want to do something to a student?"

As he spoke, Mahiro deliberately took two steps back, putting on a frightened expression of someone who would rather die than submit.

"N-No!... P-Please don't misunderstand, Yotsuba-kun. I... I don't have those kinds of thoughts!"

Haruka Ono's expression visibly panicked. She flailed her arms about helplessly, looking as though she were performing some ridiculous dance.

After a while, she noticed the faintly amused look in Mahiro's eyes and finally stopped.

She complained resentfully,

"Just as Mibu-san said, Yotsuba-kun really likes bullying people."

"Mibu-senpai?"

"Yes." Haruka Ono said, "I'm here because of Mibu-san. But I didn't get a chance to talk to you at school, so..."

"So you chose to become a pervert who stalks students, Haruka Ono-sensei?"

"Mhm... No! I never wanted to become a pervert who stalks students!"

Haruka Ono nodded at first before realizing something was wrong. She had been tricked by him again.

She could now be certain that this Yotsuba student really did like bullying people!

Mahiro smiled indifferently, then his expression returned to calm as he spoke again.

"Alright, that's enough joking around. I have something to do later, so why don't you tell me what you came to see me about?"

Seeing that Mahiro had reined in his smile, Haruka Ono gathered herself again and looked at him with a somber gaze.

"Yotsuba-kun, I heard that you're dating Mibu-san from the second year. Is that true?"

"Sigh..."

Mahiro couldn't help sighing. "Even though this is already the third time I've had to explain it today, I want to say that it's just a rumor."

He felt exhausted.

Once in the Class A classroom, then Watanabe-senpai had teased him about it, and now it was the teacher's turn.

Would the next person to ask him be the principal?

Or that old woman, Maya Yotsuba?

If possible, he really wanted to drag out the bastard spreading these rumors and beat him senseless.

"Is that so... But even if the two of you aren't boyfriend and girlfriend, you're still quite close, right? Otherwise, today's disturbance wouldn't have been settled so easily, would it?"

"That much is more or less true..."

His relationship with Mibu-senpai had indeed gone a little beyond friendship, but it definitely had not reached the level of lovers.

"Then, there's something I'd like to ask of you—"

Haruka Ono said with great sincerity.

What was Blanche?

And what the heck was Egalite?

Haruka Ono didn't explain any of that to him. She merely told him that Mibu Sayaka was troubled by the gap between her standing as a kendo athlete and her evaluation as a Course 2 Student.

As a result, she had been deceived by an organization called Blanche and joined a group called Egalite.

If possible, Haruka Ono hoped he could persuade Mibu-san to turn back before she continued down the wrong path.

Still...

It seemed he had found the root of Mibu-senpai's confusion.

All he needed to do next was find out what the hell Blanche actually was.

With that question in mind, he visited the Shiba siblings' home.

"Yo, Miyuki. Look what I brought you—your favorite chocolate cake."

"Thank you, Mahiro-nii. Come in quickly."

Miyuki took the cake from his hands and warmly welcomed him inside.

When he entered the living room, he found Tatsuya already sitting on the sofa, seemingly having waited for quite some time.

Some sort of information appeared to be displayed on the large screen in front of him.

"...Blanche?"

Mahiro sounded it out and managed to read it.

He looked at Tatsuya in confusion and asked, "What exactly is this Blanche? Can you tell me about it?"

"Yeah. That's also why I asked you to come." Tatsuya nodded and briefly explained what Blanche was.

Simply put, it was an anti-magic organization that called for the abolition of social discrimination caused by magic, yet refused to give up the benefits magic brought them.

But that was merely the surface.

In reality, they were terrorists hiding beneath the skin of a civilian movement.

And Egalite was one of their smaller affiliated groups.

"So Mibu-senpai joined a terrorist organization?" Mahiro's expression turned slightly grave.

This was no longer at the level of students fighting and disrupting order.

It was outright criminal activity!

"Huh? Is what Mahiro-nii said true?!"

Miyuki, who had brought over sliced cake and hot coffee, couldn't help trembling slightly. Then she looked toward Yotsuba Mahiro as though seeking confirmation.

After all, among those present, he was the one closest to Mibu-senpai.

If he were inadvertently influenced by her, then Aunt...

"If the person who provided the information wasn't lying, then that's indeed the case."

Mahiro didn't notice Miyuki's expression. Taking the cake and coffee, he thanked her before continuing,

"And based on the information Tatsuya gave me, it looks like quite a few people in the school have joined Egalite."

Because their methods and the equality slogans they shouted were practically identical to those of the people in the Kendo Department right now.

Tatsuya confirmed that point as well.

During his patrols, he had indeed discovered suspicious traces.

"Well, I'm not particularly good at thinking things through or persuading people. Tatsuya, do you know where they gather?"

"Not yet. It will probably take some time to investigate."

"Is that so..."

Mahiro lowered his eyes slightly. After thinking for a moment, he smiled kindly. "Then I'll leave it to you. It may be a little troublesome, but I don't want the peaceful life I've only just managed to obtain to be ruined by those bastards."

And besides.

Those people had defiled such a beautiful sword.

They were absolutely unforgivable!

A One-Man Debate

The next day, Mahiro left home earlier than usual.

The Shiba siblings had gone to visit Yakumo Kokonoe to investigate the captain of the Kendo Department, someone named Tsukasa, so they had not gone to school with him.

As for him, he wanted to arrive at school early and find that perverted teacher who liked stalking students.

Then he could have a proper talk with her about Blanche.

Since she could name it and even knew about its affiliated groups and members, she clearly knew more than just its name.

However, as he was thinking that and leisurely walking down the short road toward the school gate, a call of "Mahiro-kohai~" suddenly came from behind him, sounding oddly embarrassing.

Then a petite figure came running lightly toward him.

With that form of address and such a small build, Mahiro didn't need to guess who it was.

"Mahiro-kohai, good mornin'~"

"Good morning, Mayumi-senpai."

Seeing Mayumi made him think of something for some reason.

It seemed that when this senpai was in front of others, she could maintain a dignified and graceful appearance. But once she was out of their sight, she revealed her little-devil personality without restraint.

"By the way, Mayumi-senpai, do you always go to school alone?"

"Mm. I don't usually arrange to go to school with friends in the morning. Mari and Suzu go in completely different directions from me."

Mayumi puffed out her cheeks slightly and complained, "If I could, I'd like to have someone to go to school with too, you know~"

"..."

Say what you want, but stop looking at me.

I don't take the same route as you either. Only this stretch by the school gate overlaps with yours, you know!

Mahiro grumbled silently before changing the subject.

"Then did you come to school so early because of the debate that will be held in the auditorium after classes today?"

"Oh my, Mahiro-kohai already knows about it?"

Mayumi blinked playfully, her voice carrying a trace of surprise.

"Of course. I have informants in the student council, after all." Mahiro said half-jokingly.