The Infinite Dimensions Starting from The Irregular at Magic High School

After several preliminaries ended, the committee received complaints from the other schools, just as expected.

They complained that Yotsuba Mahiro had violated the rules by using large-scale destructive magic on behalf of First High School.

The committee could not help breaking into a cold sweat when they heard it.

The event "Monolith Code" had never restricted magic in the first place. As long as you could pull it off, even strategic-class magic was fair game.

But they could not withstand complaints from eight schools at once.

And so, the committee notified First High School of the result of their discussions.

"So, what you're calling the result of the discussion is that I can't keep using 'Nihility' in the matches from now on?"

"...Sigh, that's right."

Even Mayumi felt a headache coming on when she received that notice.

In response to the accusations of unfairness from the various schools, the committee had forcibly elevated "Nihility," an A-rank destructive spell, into tactical-class magic!

When it clearly had not reached that scale at all!

"The committee really has gone a little too far."

"Mm. Being banned from Monolith Code because a spell is too powerful is also a first in the entire history of the Nine Schools Competition."

Mari, Ichihara Suzune, and the other upperclasswomen all criticized the Nine Schools Competition committee's decision in great dissatisfaction.

Wasn't this bias a little too blatant?

"What does it matter?"

Just as everyone was both angry and helpless, Mahiro's voice drifted out.

"It only means those schools can't take a loss. So what if they ban 'Nihility'? Do they really think that's the only magic I can use?"

"Since the other schools have chosen to play like this, I just hope they don't regret it in tomorrow's match."

Mahiro kept smiling as he spoke.

But no matter who looked at him, none of them thought he was actually smiling.

It was more like the calm before the storm.

"Mahiro, what are you planning to do? Please don't do anything rash..."

Mayumi was extremely worried right now. She was afraid Mahiro would do something foolish, such as make a move against the Nine Schools Competition committee.

Based on her understanding of Mahiro, he really was capable of it...

But Mahiro only smiled faintly and said, "Don't worry, senpai. Nothing will happen. I'm not that stupid."

After First High School's temporary meeting ended, Mahiro left the tent area and returned to the hotel.

However, just as he was about to take the elevator back to his room, two Third High School students blocked his path.

Both were boys.

One of them looked very familiar, as if Suzaku Kururugi had wandered onto the wrong set.

Mayumi had once introduced him to Mahiro. He was the Burst Prince from the Ichijo Family.

The other was slightly shorter, but perhaps because his school upheld a tradition of emphasizing practical combat skills, he did not give off a weak impression. Instead, he seemed somewhat resolute.

The two did not look as if they were there to take the elevator. They looked more as if they had come to find him, walking straight toward him.

"Hello. I'm Masaki Ichijo, a first-year at Third High School."

The taller boy spoke first. There was a kind of arrogance in his tone, as though he stood above others, but it did not seem deliberate. Rather, it was an air that had settled into him over many years.

His eyes stared straight at Mahiro.

"I am also a first-year at Third High School. My name is Shinkuro Kichijoji."

The shorter boy stated his classical-style name in a polite tone but with a provocative look in his eyes.

Though there was no malice, much less hostility, he was not exactly friendly either.

"Hello. I'm Yotsuba Mahiro, from First High School."

Out of habitual politeness, Mahiro still gave a calm reply for the time being.

Then he asked:

"Judging from how you two look, you seem to have been waiting for me. Is there something you wanted to say?"

At the same time, by coincidence, in Yokohama's Chinatown.

Though it could not be called a full Manchu-Han banquet, the table was filled with a complete Chinese meal made from all sorts of expensive ingredients, and a group of people sat around it with gloomy and irritable expressions.

The luxurious decor, dominated by red and gold, only made their sour expressions stand out even more.

"...Didn't they say this year's Nine Schools Competition was favorable to Third High School? How did First High School suddenly rise out of nowhere with some temporary engineer? Not only are the CADs he tuned excellent, he even altered the magic of the Saegusa Family of the Ten Master Clans, and now he's already become the dark horse for the Monolith Code championship!

This isn't what we planned!

We should have sent more people from the start and made that damn First High School suffer even greater losses!"

They were conversing in English.

"Find a way to make this person withdraw. I don't want to see someone like him appearing in the matches from here on."

These people clearly possessed the features of Eurasian mixed ancestry.

Every one of them had both hands propped under their chins, like Commander Ikari.

"That's right. If the heavy favorite wins this time, we bookmakers will lose everything."

"The betting pool this time has drawn an especially large number of major clients. Even for us, the winnings we'd have to pay out are absolutely no small sum. This period's revenue will show a huge shortfall, and if that happens..."

The people present exchanged looks with heavy expressions.

"...everyone here will become a target for headquarters' purge. Depending on the amount of the loss, the leader may act personally."

One of them looked up at the wall scroll embroidered in gold thread with a flying dragon coiling through the air, and whispered those words in a lowered voice.

A suffocating silence spread over everyone's heads.

"...I've already taken action."

Someone suddenly said, "We've already had his magic banned through the Nine Schools Competition committee, but eliminating him completely is rather difficult. The two events that person is participating in don't require CAD inspections."

"Just who exactly is this student?!"

Someone had already begun grinding his teeth, suppressing his fury.

"Yotsuba Mahiro. He is said to be an adjusted magician of the Yotsuba Family, but at present he appears to have been discarded by the Yotsuba main house."

"A Yotsuba... magician..."

Several of those present seemed to think of something. Their breath caught at once, and their faces became extremely ugly.

"In that case, make the other First High School competitors withdraw! For example, Mari Watanabe, who is competing in tomorrow's Mirage Bat semifinals."

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

"Then it's decided. It will be her. Make Watanabe withdraw, no matter the cost!"

The next day's events still proceeded as scheduled.

As always, the competitors' CADs had to be sent to the committee for scanning and inspection.

On the first day, because of Mayumi, Watanabe had sent hers over herself. Today, however, the Monolith Code semifinals happened to be a little later, so Yotsuba Mahiro obediently fulfilled his duties as an engineer and took the tuned CADs to the inspection station.

There were rather a lot of people at the venue waiting for inspection.

Some people were even having three or four units inspected at once.

However, the scanning speed was very fast, and before long, it was his turn.

Reviewing CADs was a procedure that had been repeated many times over these past few days. It should have gone smoothly and ended without incident.

However.

The instant the beam scanned over the CAD, that optimism vanished completely.

Something had been forcibly added into the CAD!

And his body reacted faster than his brain.

The instant he discovered it, he had already seized the person in charge by the collar, dragged him out from the other side of the table, and slammed him onto the ground.

A wail rang out in the venue.

Then came angry roars.

Strictly speaking, it was the security committee members roaring as they charged straight at him.

But before they could touch his body, they were corroded one after another by the scattered psion storm and collapsed unconscious on the spot.

He choked the person in charge by the neck with one hand and slowly bent down. Those deep, pitch-black pupils were as still as an ancient well, without the slightest ripple, but beneath that surface lurked surging killing intent.

"To dare do something like this right in front of me... You should have something to say, shouldn't you?"

The restrained person in charge showed a flash of panic at his question, but immediately stiffened his neck and said, "W-what are you talking about? I don't know! Let go of me right now... or, or else I'll make sure you pay for this! I'll have First High School's results canceled!"

"That's not it."

Bang!

Yotsuba Mahiro smashed a fist down without the slightest mercy, and blood instantly burst from the person in charge's face.

However, he showed no intention of stopping.

Calmly, as if carrying out mechanical labor, he beat the man viciously.

With every punch he brought down, he asked the same question—

"You should have something to say to me, shouldn't you?"

When he got no response, he slammed down a second punch.

Until bones were cracked, teeth were broken, and the bridge of the nose completely collapsed—but in the next second, as if time had rewound, all those injuries returned to normal.

It was nothing less than an endless death by a thousand cuts.

Scattered blood stained the dirt and sand with dark little blotches.

Rather than an interrogation, it was more like he was venting the fire in his heart.

The anger stirred up by the other schools, and by the Operations Committee, all poured onto this one man in that moment.

But after so long without getting an answer, Yotsuba Mahiro put a little more force into his fists, and the speed of his punches increased as well.

"You should know what I want to ask. Talk."

Another merciless punch slammed into the official's face.

"—Say what you ought to say."

Another punch.

"Talk!"

"Cough... cough, hah!"

The official collapsed to the ground like a rag, his consciousness hazy, the severe pain from his skull leaving him unable to say a word.

Mahiro noticed that too.

And so he unclenched his fist, and released the man's neck as well.

Was he letting him go?