"Y-you... put me down!"
Mayumi Saegusa's shy voice came from Chiba Yeyou's arms, as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
This was Mayumi Saegusa's first time being so intimate with a man. Even her father had not held her since she had grown up.
When Chiba Yeyou had picked him up just now, she had let out a startled cry, then gone blank.
A masculine scent kept flooding her nose, leaving her dizzy. Only by forcing herself to endure it had she managed to say those words.
"What?"
"Are you not satisfied, senpai?"
"Then..."
Chiba Yeyou seemed to be considering a way to satisfy Mayumi Saegusa, yet he kept holding her without letting her down.
A little witch? Laughable, laughable!
Always teasing other people-I thought you were so formidable!
Your cultivation was still far too shallow!
Girl!
"I... could you put me down, please?"
Mayumi Saegusa could only plead softly, her face red.
Mari Watanabe had already left. She really could not stay any longer; she was stuffed with dog food!
The two groups over there happened to be showing signs of casting magic, so going to stop them would also be an escape.
Seeing Mari Watanabe leave, the other three hurried after her. They had no interest in watching a young couple act lovey-dovey either, so it was better to have the sense to get far away.
"But you don't seem satisfied, senpai!"
Chiba Yeyou looked utterly helpless, as if to say he did not want this either-she had forced him!
Damn!
Why could this person be so shameless?!
How did he manage to be this shameless?
Was it really true that someone without shame was invincible?
The mysterious country in the East truly had not deceived me!
Yes, the president was already starting to question her life. As a member of the Ten Master Clans, the people she dealt with all cared deeply about appearances. This was her first time encountering an oddball like Chiba Yeyou.
Besides, she had only said it in passing, yet he had actually gone through with it!
Couldn't he take a joke?!
"Junior, I admit defeat. Please let me go!"
Chiba Yeyou's whispers left Mayumi Saegusa tingling all over, unable to muster any strength.
Left with no choice, she could only surrender.
It wasn't that I was weak. The enemy was simply too shameless!
As the little princess of the Saegusa Family, when had she ever encountered an opponent like this?
Never mind the numbered families-even ordinary magicians were nothing like Chiba Yeyou.
Fine!
Now there was one.
Chiba Yeyou put Mayumi Saegusa down. After all, they were only teasing each other. Uh, fine, it was one-sided teasing. His senpai was simply too bad at it, yet she loved playing. Otherwise, he would not have struck first.
"Hiss!!"
The moment Chiba Yeyou lowered Mayumi Saegusa from his arms, a sharp pain shot through his waist.
"Holy shit!"
"360!"
"No!"
"720!"
"Damn, go easy, senpai!"
Chiba Yeyou broke out in a sweat from the pain.
"Junior, you've been naughty!"
Mayumi Saegusa was too short to reach Chiba Yeyou's ear, and she did not dare drape herself over him. Instead, she pinched his waist and pulled downward. Once he crouched, she breathed warmly into his ear as she spoke.
Even after speaking, she did not let go. She continued blowing into Chiba Yeyou's ear, tempting him and making his ear itch.
Fuck!
I'm done for!
Hard! I'm hard!
She really wasn't treating me as a man, damn it!
What cadre could withstand this sort of temptation?!
"Hiss!!!"
This time, Chiba Yeyou's voice had changed noticeably from his earlier cry. It was a little, well...
"Senpai, I was wrong!"
"Let go, quick!"
Damn!
If she didn't let go, there would be a serious problem!
Mayumi Saegusa felt that was about enough and released the little hand at Chiba Yeyou's waist.
I won in the end!
Hmph!
Mayumi Saegusa thought smugly.
"You really are ruthless!"
Chiba Yeyou rubbed his waist while looking at Mayumi Saegusa with resentment written all over his face.
The president really was quite alluring with her face all flushed!
Why did I feel like swallowing her in one bite?
"All of you, stop!"
Just as Chiba Yeyou was staring at Mayumi Saegusa in a slight daze, and Mayumi Saegusa was feeling a little embarrassed and annoyed, a stern voice came from the distance, interrupting their exchanged looks.
They both simply turned toward the commotion in the distance.
"Speaking of which, how did these two groups end up facing off?"
With her blush fading slightly, Mayumi Saegusa asked in confusion.
"Using offensive magic against another person for anything other than self-defense is a criminal act!"
Hattori raised the CAD on his right arm, watching everyone with a stern, wary expression.
"Heh!"
"Isn't it just because the so-called 'Blooms' look down on the so-called 'Weeds'?"
Chiba Yeyou watched the people in the distance and spoke with a mocking expression.
"What a pointless farce!"
Hearing Chiba Yeyou's words, Mayumi Saegusa understood what was happening, and a look of irritation involuntarily appeared on her face.
"I'm Mari Watanabe from the disciplinary committee. I need to establish what happened. All of you, come with me!"
Mari Watanabe also raised the CAD on her wrist and spoke with a stern expression.
Azusa Nakajo and Suzune Ichihara stood behind her, though neither was using a CAD.
"It's pointless to you, but they see things differently!"
"They think being Course 1 Students puts them a cut above everyone else!"
Chiba Yeyou gazed into the distance and spoke in a snide tone.
"Could you speak normally?"
Mayumi Saegusa rolled her eyes at Chiba Yeyou. His snide tone was extremely unpleasant to listen to.
"The conflict between First High School's Course 1 Students and Course 2 Students has been growing more and more intense. Still, you actually dared use 'Blooms' and 'Weeds' in front of me. You're quite bold, aren't you?"
As Mayumi Saegusa spoke, she leaned against Chiba Yeyou and stared steadily at him.
Before this, Mayumi Saegusa would never have casually leaned against Chiba Yeyou. But now that he had already held her, it no longer mattered.
"Senpai, you're playing with fire, you know?"
Chiba Yeyou looked at Mayumi Saegusa with a smile.
"Oh?"
"Am I?"
As she spoke, she rubbed her little hand over Chiba Yeyou's chest, then quickly moved away from him and walked toward the scene of the incident.
"You've got quite a bit there, junior!"
"Damn!"
"So bad at it, yet you still love playing!"
Chiba Yeyou pursed his lips helplessly.
Watching his little senpai walk over with her complexion already back to normal, he followed her.
"I'm sorry. We took our fooling around too far!"
Just as he reached them, a clear voice rang out.
Chiba Yeyou did not need to think to know Tatsuya Shiba had started.
"Fooling around?"
Mari Watanabe raised her glowing hand as she looked at Tatsuya Shiba.
"Yes. The Morisaki Clan's 'High-Speed Casting' magic is very famous, so we wanted to see it after school. It looked so realistic that we accidentally took action!"
Tatsuya Shiba's string of fabrications left the group behind him staring in disbelief.
"Is that really what happened?"
"Chiba Yeyou?"
Mari Watanabe directed her question at Chiba Yeyou. After all, he had been watching the commotion here earlier. No one understood the situation better than he did.
"Don't ask me. Judge for yourself. I don't know anything!"
Chiba Yeyou waved his hand, looking as though none of it concerned him, infuriating Mari Watanabe.
Damn!
If you two hadn't been scattering dog food over there and drawing our attention, this wouldn't have happened!
Mari Watanabe looked at Chiba Yeyou and Mayumi Saegusa with a resentful expression.
"???"
Mayumi Saegusa was baffled by that resentful gaze. What did this have to do with him?
"Then why was that girl over there casting offensive magic?"
Mari Watanabe looked at Honoka Mitsui as she asked.
How many days had it been since school started?
And something like this had already happened!
Mari Watanabe had no intention of letting Tatsuya Shiba bluff his way through so easily.
"That was merely a simple flash spell. Its power was also suppressed."
Tatsuya Shiba explained with complete confidence.
"Oh?"
Mari Watanabe and the others were surprised.
"It seems you can read Activation Sequences as they unfold."
Mari Watanabe spoke thoughtfully.
"Although I'm very poor at practical skills, I'm good at analysis."
Poor at practical skills, my ass!
The kind that beat people to death, right?
With just a tiny bit of effort?
Chiba Yeyou rolled his eyes at Tatsuya Shiba, leaving Tatsuya Shiba utterly bewildered.
"It seems you're quite good at lying too!"
Mari Watanabe said sarcastically.
Would a spectacle that this guy Chiba Yeyou had come specifically to watch really be a magic lesson?
Was he kidding her?
It would have been strange indeed if Mari Watanabe had actually believed that!
Junior, why are you treating me like an idiot?
That was Mari Watanabe's most genuine thought.
"I wouldn't dare lie. I'm merely a humble Course 2 Student!"
As Tatsuya Shiba spoke, he gestured toward his shoulder, where there were no petals.
Ah!
National Magic University Affiliated First High School.
Those who could enter this school were already elites recognized as possessing the rare skill of magic.
Yet within this school, students were divided into superior and inferior students the moment they enrolled.
It was precisely this distinction that made Course 1 Students increasingly arrogant and Course 2 Students increasingly insecure!
The strong grew ever stronger, and the weak grew ever weaker!
"Blooms" and "Weeds" who could not even set their attitudes straight!
That was the school's current state!
Chiba Yeyou thought silently.
"It was just a little misunderstanding. Let's leave it at that, Mari!"
Mayumi Saegusa tried to smooth things over, winking at Tatsuya Shiba as she spoke.
"Tatsuya, this was just a demonstration, right?"
Seeing that Mari Watanabe remained completely unmoved, Mayumi Saegusa addressed Tatsuya Shiba again.
"Although students aren't forbidden from giving each other demonstrations, there are many restrictions on using magic. It's best to keep voluntary activities involving the activation of magic in check."
"Since even the president says so, I'll let you off this time. I hope nothing like this happens again."
With that, Mari Watanabe turned to leave.
"What's your name?"
As though she had remembered something, Mari Watanabe suddenly turned back to look at Tatsuya Shiba and asked.
"Tatsuya Shiba, Class 1-E."
"I'll remember that!"