Dusk...
At the entrance to First High School, a group of Course 1 Students were pestering Miyuki Shiba and refusing to let her leave.
"Isn't it about time you gave up?" Mizuki Shibata said.
"We have something we want to discuss with her."
"Exactly. We only want to bother her for a little while."
"Anyway, Miyuki said she was going home with her brother, so why are you still pestering her?" Mizuki Shibata argued.
"That's enough. You have three seconds to disappear from my sight, or you'll bear the consequences."
Baifeng Uesugi stepped forward and looked at the group in front of him, speaking in an uncompromising tone.
"This is a matter for Class 1-A. How dare a mere weed speak to us like that?"
"Weed? Is being a bloom what gives you the nerve to be so unreasonable?"
Baifeng Uesugi had reached the limit of his patience with people who stirred up trouble for no reason.
"Aren't we all new students?" Mizuki Shibata said.
"Just how much better are you blooms than us?"
"Heh, you want to know how much better we are than you?"
"Hmph, interesting. Please, by all means, show us," Leonhard Saijou said, taking a stance.
"Leo, this has nothing to do with you. You all step back and leave this to me."
After Baifeng Uesugi, using CADs to fight on campus was prohibited, but he didn't care about those rules anyway.
Hearing that, Leonhard Saijou reluctantly stepped back, and Erika Chiba and Mizuki Shibata also retreated.
"Since you say you blooms are stronger than us weeds, you'd better show me what you can do."
Baifeng Uesugi stepped forward and spoke coldly.
"In that case, we'll show you."
The other blooms wisely stepped aside when they heard that.
Then he operated his CAD, pointed his palm at Baifeng Uesugi, and shouted.
"Now you'll see the difference."
But before his opponent could unleash his magic, Baifeng Uesugi vanished from where he stood and appeared behind him.
"Is that it? Is this all the strength a bloom has?"
Baifeng Uesugi taunted him.
"What? You..."
Baifeng Uesugi gave him no chance to speak, throwing him straight to the ground with a shoulder throw.
"Bai Feng's hand-to-hand skills are amazing," Erika Chiba exclaimed.
"Brother," Miyuki Shiba said.
"He really is impressive. I don't think I'm a match for Bai Feng in hand-to-hand combat," Tatsuya Shiba replied.
"Damn it, a mere weed actually..."
Seeing this, the other blooms took out their CADs and began using magic.
"Brother," Miyuki Shiba said, looking worried.
Tatsuya Shiba understood, but just as he was about to act, something shocking happened.
Baifeng Uesugi took out a CAD the size of a cell phone and pretended to press it a few times. Bolts of lightning shot straight toward the group.
In the blink of an eye, the blooms were knocked unconscious by the lightning.
"Th-that magic activated so quickly. Those blooms started activating their magic first, but even though Bai Feng started later, he actually cast his magic before them."
Mizuki Shibata spoke in surprise.
"Ah! What did you do?"
The bloom who had led the group hadn't been knocked unconscious, not because he was strong, but because Baifeng Uesugi had deliberately spared him.
He didn't know that, though, and was still thinking of activating magic to attack Baifeng Uesugi.
"Everyone, don't!"
At that moment, two petite girls arrived, and Honoka spoke.
At the same time, the CAD on her wrist had already begun running an activation sequence to cast magic.
"Brother," Miyuki Shiba said hastily, seeing that Honoka was using her magic incorrectly.
"It's all right."
Tatsuya Shiba replied.
"Stop. Using magic to attack a person for anything other than self-defense is already against the law, never mind the school rules," Mayumi Saegusa said, directly decomposing Honoka's magic.
"I'm Mari Watanabe, chair of the Disciplinary Committee. Please tell me what happened. All of you, come with me," Mari Watanabe said.
"Sorry, we were only playing a little joke just now," Baifeng Uesugi said.
"A little joke?" Mari Watanabe asked, puzzled.
"Yes. We'd heard how famous the Morisaki family's 'Rapid Fire' was, and because we pressed him too hard, he attacked without thinking," Baifeng Uesugi explained.
"Then how do you explain the students lying unconscious on the ground? And what about that girl who tried to use attack magic just now?" Mari Watanabe asked.
"Those people on the ground weren't hurt. I only put them to sleep temporarily.
"And the girl just used flash magic, and she had already suppressed its power considerably," Baifeng Uesugi said.
"Oh? Is that so? It looks like you can analyze a magic activation sequence as it unfolds," Mari Watanabe said.
"I can't analyze it. Tatsuya told me all of that. Isn't that right, Tatsuya?"
Baifeng Uesugi turned to look at Tatsuya Shiba as he spoke.
"Uh..."
Suddenly mentioned by Baifeng Uesugi, Tatsu Shiba immediately caught on.
"Yes."
"I'm not very good at practical application, but I'm quite skilled at analysis."
"You also seem quite skilled at putting on an act. And you, too."
Mari Watanabe looked at Baifeng Uesugi as she spoke.
"How would we dare cover anything up? We're only Course 2 Students," Baifeng Uesugi said, pointing at his school emblem.
First High School, the high school affiliated with the National Magic University: anyone who passed the entrance exam was an elite whose magical ability had been proven.
Yet at this high school, top students and inferior students had existed from the moment they enrolled.
Baifeng Uesugi thought to himself.
"It was only a small misunderstanding. I'm very sorry for troubling you, seniors."
Miyuki Shiba stepped forward and bowed in apology.
"Mari, let's leave it at that. Although interaction between students isn't forbidden, there are all sorts of detailed restrictions on the use of magic. It would be better to show a little more restraint with independent study activities that require casting magic."
Mayumi Saegusa spoke.
"Since the president has said so, I won't pursue the matter this time. But it's an indisputable fact that Baifeng Uesugi used attack magic, so I've decided to suspend him from classes for one week as a disciplinary measure."
Mari Watanabe looked at Baifeng Uesugi as she spoke.
"For using magic to knock several students unconscious just now, I'm suspending you for one week on behalf of the Disciplinary Committee. Do you have any objections?"
"No."
"But..." Miyuki Shiba was about to say something, but Baifeng Uesugi stopped her with a look.
"Miyuki, do you have anything else to say?" Mari Watanabe asked.
"N-no." Miyuki Shiba could only accept it.
Seeing that the matter had been resolved, Mari Watanabe turned to leave.
"What are your names?" After taking a couple of steps, Mari Watanabe turned back to Baifeng Uesugi and Tatsuya Shiba and asked.
"First year, Class E, Baifeng Uesugi."
"First year, Class E, Tatsuya Shiba."
"All right, Baifeng Uesugi, I'll remember you. I hope you won't break the school rules again."
Mari Watanabe left without looking back as she spoke.
"I won't consider this a favor I owe you."
After seeing Mayumi Saegusa and Mari Watanabe leave, the Course 1 Student who had picked a fight earlier spoke in an aggrieved tone.
"I never intended for you to owe me a favor. If some of my friends hadn't been involved in this, you'd be lying in a hospital right now," Baifeng Uesugi said coldly.
"Hmph. Let's go."
Shun Morisaki snorted and left with the group from earlier.
"My name is Honoka Mitsui. I'm really very sorry about what happened," Honoka Mitsui said, stepping forward to apologize.
"Thank you for protecting us just now. I'm truly grateful."
"I know you meant well, but you mustn't be so reckless next time."
Baifeng Uesugi looked at the adorable Honoka Mitsui and smiled.
"Bai Feng, I'm sorry too. You were punished because of me."
Miyuki Shiba bent over in apology.
"Miyuki, we're all friends. How could I not help when my friends are in trouble?"
Baifeng Uesugi said with a smile.
"May I ask your names? Thank you for protecting us just now, too," Honoka Mitsui said to Tatsuya Shiba.
"Tatsuya Shiba. Just call me Tatsuya. Uesugi reminded me in time, and all I did was say a few words, so there's no need to thank me," Tatsuya Shiba replied.
"No, no matter what, I still have to thank you both," Honoka Mitsui said.
"Uesugi, could we walk to the station together later?"
"Sure, let's go together," Baifeng Uesugi said with a smile.
"So, was it you who adjusted Miyuki's CAD, Tatsuya?" Honoka Mitsui asked.
"Yes. I feel more at ease using a CAD my brother has adjusted," Miyuki Shiba replied.
"I only made a few adjustments. But Uesugi, you seem quite familiar with analyzing activation sequences too."
"Tatsuya, I was talking nonsense back then. I don't know the first thing about analyzing activation sequences."
Baifeng Uesugi spoke.
"Bai Feng, you're really bold, lying right in front of Saegusa and Watanabe. No wonder Watanabe said you were good at covering things up," Erika Chiba said.
"Even so, you couldn't do it without understanding the calculation device's OS, could you?" Mizuki Shibata said.
"You'd also need enough skill to connect to the CAD's basic system," Leonhard said.
"That's amazing."
"Tatsuya, could you take a look at my CAD?" Erika Chiba asked.
"No way. I'm not confident I can tune a CAD with such an unusual shape," Tatsuya Shiba said.
"You really are amazing, Shiba."
"What's so amazing?"
"You actually knew about my kind of CAD. I haven't used it, have I? I only took it out for a moment earlier," Erika Chiba said.
"Erika's CAD is really unusual," Baifeng Uesugi said with a smile.
"An engraved-type activation sequence?" Leonhard said.
"That's right. Everything I have outside is hollow," Erika Chiba said.
"So that means you have to keep feeding it Psions. I'm impressed you don't exhaust yourself," Leonhard said.
"As expected, this is your area of expertise," Erika Chiba said.
"But that's still a shame. As long as you focus the Psions you inject at the instant you swing and strike, you won't consume too much.
"It's the same principle as 'Helmet Splitter,'" Erika Chiba explained.
"Come to think of it, what's wrong with everyone?"
Only then did Erika Chiba notice that she was the only one in the group talking, and she asked in confusion.
"Erika, I think 'Helmet Splitter' should be classified as a secret or ultimate technique. It's far more impressive than simply pouring in a large quantity of Psions."
Miyuki Shiba explained.
That was right. The group had fallen silent because they were shocked by what Erika Chiba had just said, though to Baifeng Uesugi, it was child's play.
At that moment, his attention was entirely focused on a message he had just received, and he hadn't noticed their conversation at all.
"Bai Feng, what's wrong?" Mizuki Shibata asked.
"Sorry, something urgent has come up, so I need to leave first."
With that, Baifeng Uesugi hurried straight off.
"Bai Feng..."
Miyuki Shiba wanted to ask if he needed help, but she found that Baifeng Uesugi had already disappeared from sight.
"Whoa, that was fast," Erika Chiba exclaimed.
(P.S.: More "power," more happiness! As a new author, thank you all for your support. I hope you'll click to request updates and send some "power."
Please give this new author more encouragement and motivation. Wishing everyone happiness and joy in advance!)