"Lower the temperature!"
"Stop!"
"Remember this feeling!"
The boy's voice kept ringing out inside the room.
Chiba Yeyou looked at the pillar being subjected to the low temperature, a layer of ice crystals covering its surface.
"All right. At this level, it won't kill anyone, but it'll still leave them unable to resist."
Chiba Yeyou looked at the frozen pillar and nodded.
"Thank you!"
Miyuki Shiba stepped down from the testing platform and bowed slightly to Chiba Yeyou in thanks.
"It's nothing. We're classmates. We should help each other out."
Chiba Yeyou waved a hand dismissively.
"But the way you use magic isn't very good. You focus too much on power."
"Hmm?"
Hearing Chiba Yeyou's words, Miyuki Shiba tilted her head in confusion.
"It's not just you. People at this school generally have the same problem. Though it isn't really a problem, at least not for them."
Chiba Yeyou recalled the magic demonstrations others had given in class. Even the teachers paid little attention to "precision," focusing only on the power and strength of their magic.
This "precision" didn't refer to the accuracy of aiming magic at a target, but to the extent of its release. Or rather, the degree of interference.
"My ideal magic shouldn't be used just to emphasize how powerful it is or how strong its interference is. It should change according to the specific situation."
"Take your Niflheim, for example. Can you use it to turn a glass of water into slush?"
After finishing his explanation while looking at the frozen pillar, Chiba Yeyou asked her a question.
"Uh, I probably couldn't do that."
Miyuki Shiba shook her head without giving it much thought.
After all, who would practice making slush with magic for no reason?
Did they have nothing better to do?
"That's why I said none of you really care about psion consumption."
Chiba Yeyou wore an utterly speechless expression.
"It doesn't really feel like something we need to worry about."
Miyuki Shiba didn't quite understand. After all, if she really encountered an enemy, she could simply throw a Niflheim at them. If that wasn't enough, she could follow it up with an Inferno.
As far as Miyuki Shiba was concerned, an enemy certainly couldn't withstand an attack of that level, so there was no need to fuss over psion consumption.
"I suppose that's the difference between me and you all!"
"I pay more attention to how magic performs, achieving what I want at the smallest possible cost."
"And have you never wondered just how far magic can be condensed?"
A faint smile appeared on Chiba Yeyou's face.
"Condensing magic?"
Miyuki Shiba felt a little lost.
"It means compressing magic down to the smallest possible length, right to its limit."
As Chiba Yeyou spoke, he extended his right hand. A small light spell formed in his palm, then slowly began to shrink. Under that extreme compression, the light didn't weaken or go out. Instead, it became even more dazzling.
"This..."
"But what's the point of that?"
For a moment, Miyuki Shiba couldn't understand what use it had.
"What if this were Niflheim?"
Chiba Yeyou asked with a smile.
"That, that!"
Miyuki Shiba understood in an instant.
"Or what kind of power would a lightning spell have after being compressed?"
"And what would it look like when you used it?"
Chiba Yeyou watched the light spell in his palm, as though he could already imagine that scene.
"But..."
"There are too many things involved. Coordinates, movement speed, frequen..."
Miyuki Shiba felt this wasn't something a magician could accomplish.
With all the aspects involved, even a supercomputer couldn't process those complicated variables, unless the target remained completely still.
"Have you forgotten how you mastered those temperature changes just now?"
Chiba Yeyou looked at Miyuki Shiba with a smile.
"Right!"
"You can do it!"
Miyuki Shiba abruptly remembered that dreamlike world from earlier.
There probably wasn't anything clearer or more explicit than that.
"You..."
"Ding, ding, ding..."
"Uh, school's over. Time really flew."
Hearing the bell, Chiba Yeyou froze for a moment before realizing it was already that late.
"Yes, I still need to go to the Student Council room."
The words Miyuki Shiba had wanted to say were interrupted, and she instead remembered that she had to go to the Student Council room with her brother shortly.
"Shall we go together?"
Chiba Yeyou glanced at Miyuki Shiba and invited her with a light chuckle.
"It's rare for you to invite me. We've known each other for several days now, but I'm always the one inviting you. This is your first time inviting me. How could I possibly refuse?"
Miyuki Shiba said with a soft laugh.
After spending several days with him, Miyuki Shiba had come to realize that, aside from his glib tongue, this fellow didn't have many flaws. And when it came to magic, he always excelled in ways that set him apart from others. Even with the high standards she had because of her brother, she had to acknowledge Chiba Yeyou's excellence.
Perhaps Chiba Yeyou had other flaws, but she hadn't discovered them yet. That would take time, wouldn't it?
"Then, my esteemed Miss Miyuki, may I invite you to accompany me?"
Chiba Yeyou extended a hand and bowed slightly, making a gesture like a Western knight inviting a beautiful lady.
"Pfft!"
Miyuki Shiba laughed at Chiba Yeyou's pose, mainly because it simply didn't suit his usual style!
"All right, let's go!"
Miyuki Shiba reached out and slapped his outstretched hand, then took the lead in walking out of the room.
Seeing this, Chiba Yeyou smiled helplessly, thoroughly disappointed by the girl's refusal to play along.
"By the way, why did you recommend my brother and Erika for the Public Morals Committee?"
Miyuki Shiba asked as they walked.
That question had been bothering her all afternoon.
"Because I think your brother and Erika are capable of serving on the Public Morals Committee."
Chiba Yeyou's voice was perfectly calm, as though it was only natural that the two of them had that ability.
Hearing his serious, confident voice, Miyuki Shiba couldn't help turning back to look into his eyes.
"Although I've already thanked you, I still want to thank you again. Thank you for the goodwill you've shown my brother. I'm happy he can have a friend like you."
Miyuki Shiba fell silent for a moment. She knew Chiba Yeyou wasn't as simple as he appeared. That he could recognize her brother's strength didn't strike her as far-fetched, though it was still quite unexpected. But she was a clever girl and knew what to ask and what not to ask. Then she smiled, her lovely face blossoming.
"It's nothing. We're classmates!"
"If I can help, naturally I will."
Chiba Yeyou didn't claim any credit. After all, they really did have the ability. At most, he had put in a word for them.
Still, he was rather surprised that Miyuki Shiba hadn't asked how he knew. Even if she had, he could have brushed it off with a simple claim of intuition, but not asking showed that she was smart!
The two chatted as they walked. Before long, they met Tatsuya Shiba and Erika Chiba and headed to the Student Council room together.
"Seriously, why did you drag me into this too?"
Erika Chiba couldn't understand it at all. They had only known each other for a few days!
Did he already know her that well?
Was that even possible?
"All right, Erika, we're here."
Miyuki Shiba soothed her.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Come in!"
A voice familiar to Chiba Yeyou came from inside the Student Council room.
"Click!"
"Excuse us."
"I'm Tatsuya Shiba."
"I'm Miyuki Shiba."
"I'm Erika Chiba."
"President, I'm here!"
The four greeted those inside and entered the Student Council room.
Sure enough, the moment Chiba Yeyou entered, he saw a certain fellow striking a pose with his back to them.
"What are you gawking at over there? You've got visitors. Don't you know to say hello?"
Chiba Yeyou looked at the fellow irritably.
Although Chiba Yeyou knew what he was like, having him pull this routine right in front of him was genuinely a little too much.
"Ahem, ahem..."
Hearing Chiba Yeyou's voice, Hattori hastily turned around and gave a couple of awkward coughs to cover his embarrassment.
Nothing else to it. I'm just doing my junior a favor!
Hattori comforted himself inwardly.
"..."
Mayumi Saegusa had just been about to greet them, only for Chiba Yeyou's remark to stop her short.
"You're here!"
Mari Watanabe's eyes lit up at the sight of the four of them. Chiba Yeyou sensed the exploitative air of a capitalist in her gaze, especially when she stared at him.
Mayumi Saegusa greeted them with a smile.
"Welcome, Miyuki, Erika, Tatsuya."
"And thank you for your hard work too, junior!"
Mayumi Saegusa raised her small hand and waved.
Hattori walked around Tatsuya Shiba and Erika Chiba, heading straight toward Miyuki Shiba.
"I'm the vice president, Hattori Gyoubu. Miyuki Shiba, welcome to the Student Council."
The fellow looked utterly confident, completely failing to notice Miyuki Shiba's dark expression as she wanted to hit him with a Niflheim for ignoring her brother.
"Ah!"
"So young!"
"He's never had a proper beating."
Chiba Yeyou walked over to Mayumi Saegusa, sat down beside her, and sighed leisurely.
Chiba Yeyou couldn't be bothered with the fellow anymore. When a kid kept acting up, he probably needed a beating.
"You think he'll get beaten up?"
Mayumi Saegusa looked at the four by the door, particularly the dark little face and the other red-haired girl gritting her teeth, then whispered into Chiba Yeyou's ear.
"Definitely. Twice, at that!"
Chiba Yeyou looked confident and composed, with thirty percent anticipation and the rest pure delight at another's misfortune.
"Seriously?"
Mari Watanabe leaned over too, exclaiming quietly.
"What, want to make a bet?"
Chiba Yeyou looked at the pair of beautiful girls with ill intent.
"Y-you'd better not get any ideas about me!"
Mari Watanabe immediately watched Chiba Yeyou warily, as though guarding against a thief.
Her reaction left Chiba Yeyou blinking in bewilderment.
"And don't you go getting any bad ideas!"
"I'm not betting with you!"
Mayumi Saegusa also waved her hands repeatedly, indicating she wasn't falling for it.
"Look how scared you two are!"
"You two bean sprouts think I'd set my sights on you?"
"Grow a little more first, girls!"
"Hiss~"
"Mmph~"