Afternoon classes came to an end, and school was out for the day.
From now on, nearly every day after school would be dedicated to strategy meetings and training. I had explained the situation to my clubs and asked for a leave of absence for the time being. Of course, I planned to drop by whenever I could manage it.
It was quite painful to see Rebecca-senpai looking so disappointed... but it couldn't be helped.
"I have arrived!"
Ariane appeared immediately after school let out. To build up her stamina, she had reportedly run here while using Physical Reinforcement. She also intended to stay in Amelia’s room on the nights before holidays.
For this Magics War, students from other academies were permitted to travel between campuses. Though, it wasn't as if the rules were ever that strict to begin with. One often saw students from other participating academies visiting this school.
"Ray! Let us begin at once!"
Today, she had her hair tied in twin-tails. At first glance, she might have looked like Clarice, but there was a distinct difference.
Clarice's twin-tails were thin. She claimed that specific thickness provided the perfect balance. The memory of being impressed by her—a woman who loved twin-tails and was loved by them in return—was still fresh in my mind.
Ariane, by contrast, had much thicker twin-tails. She likely didn't have any specific intention behind the style, but it suited her remarkably well.
"Ariane."
"What is it, Ray?"
"That hairstyle suits you."
"Hehe. You have a keen eye, Ray!"
"I am honored."
While exchanging those words, we began the task of searching for Amelia.
"Oh? Training starts today, yet Amelia is nowhere to be found?" Ariane asked as we walked through the school building. She spoke as if the girl’s absence was completely incomprehensible.
"...There is a possibility she has fled."
"Fled?"
"Yeah. During the Magics Chevalier, Amelia often tried to run away."
"...I see. Amelia does have an unexpectedly tomboyish side to her... Well, I suppose I can understand."
"However, it’s fine. Tracking a specific sorcerer is my specialty."
"Is that so?"
"Just watch."
In an instant, I deployed my Anti-Material Field.
I had already memorized Amelia’s Prima Materia. As I scanned the area... I found her.
"I see. Second building, third floor. The innermost stall of the women's restroom. Perhaps she’s feeling unwell."
I relayed the pinpointed information to Ariane. She stared at me, her expression stunned.
"Wait... you figured that out in just a second?"
"I did."
"...How should I put it? You truly are one of the Seven Grand Sorcerers."
"My power isn’t quite back to its peak yet. Well, let’s head over for now."
"Understood."
We set off. Climbing the stairs of the second building, we arrived in front of the women's restroom.
"Shall I go in and call her?" Ariane asked.
"No, I’ll go too."
Without hesitation, I entered the women's restroom alongside Ariane.
"Amelia trainee! It is time for training!!"
With that shout, the presence of the person inside—which I had sensed clearly until a moment ago—suddenly became extremely faint.
"Hmm. Do you intend to hide? I know you're in there!"
"Amelia! Are you alright?" Ariane called out.
"Are you feeling ill? If so, I would like you to report it."
After we waited for a short while, the door opened with a slow creak.
"Ugh... sorry. When I thought about the training, my stomach just started to... But I’m okay now."
Whether she was truly unwell or not, Amelia looked a bit pale. I would have to take her physical condition into serious consideration during our sessions.
"That is good to hear. Then, let us go."
Amelia washed her hands thoroughly at the sink and followed us out. Once we were in the hallway, I firmly grabbed her hand.
"Ariane. I want you to hold her other hand as well."
"Question mark? I understand, but..."
With Amelia in the center, Ariane and I held her hands from both sides.
"Hey. What is this...?" Amelia asked with a dubious expression.
"It’s a countermeasure against Amelia's escape," I answered immediately.
"...I wasn't actually going to run, you know?"
I thought I saw her face turn a little red.
"Just to be safe."
"Well... I guess it’s fine."
Ariane, on the other hand, seemed to be in very high spirits.
"Alright! Then, let us begin at once!"
"Before that, let’s confirm the details of this tournament."
I had applied to Carol in advance for permission to use an empty classroom after school. The three of us entered the room, and Amelia and Ariane took seats in the front row. I stood at the podium in front of the blackboard, chalk in hand, and began the briefing for the Magics War.
"Now then, I will explain the Magics War. Information sharing within the team is vital."
I started with a review of the rules, beginning with the qualifiers.
"The qualifiers will consist of a round-robin tournament for each league. The leagues are labeled A through G. The top two teams from each league will advance to the main tournament."
I quickly sketched an outline on the blackboard.
"In the qualifiers, we will compete under Point Capture rules. The venue is the Kafka Forest. Points where Prima Materia overflows will appear at specific locations and set intervals. The objective is to store a target amount of Prima Materia from these points into a magic tool. The side that reaches the target first, or has stored the most by the end of the match, wins."
I explained the qualifier rules. Both Amelia and Ariane likely knew them already, but it was important to confirm. Ariane raised her hand.
"May I ask a question?"
"Of course."
"In Point Capture, what will our positions be?"
"...I don't yet know the full extent of your abilities, Ariane. However, I have formulated a general strategy. For Point Capture, I want Amelia to be the one occupying the point."
"Wait, me?"
Stunned, Amelia pointed at herself. She clearly hadn't expected the role, but I had judged this to be the best course of action.
"Yes. There are several reasons for this."
I set the chalk down and began to elaborate.
"This applies to both Point Capture and Siege Battles, but in this Magics War, close-quarters combat will be extremely frequent. While there will be time to construct codes from the rear, given our team composition, the optimal solution is for Ariane and me to handle the front-line combat."
Amelia, understanding her own magical characteristics, nodded in agreement.
"Well... compared to Ray and Ariane, my close-quarters combat is lacking, so that makes sense."
"However, Amelia, you have a vital role."
"What do I need to do?"
Her gaze was deadly serious. I could feel her determination to master her assigned duty.
"In Point Capture, two people defend while one person stays at the point to continuously fill the magic tool with Prima Materia. Therefore, it will be to your benefit to practice several spells specialized for defense."
"...If I use the Butterfly Effect, it would provide an absolute defense, wouldn't it?"
I knew that Amelia was working tirelessly to keep her powerful origin magic—the Butterfly Effect, which allowed her to interfere with causality—under her control. The President and Nora had asked me to look after her, but the primary reason was for Amelia's own sake. If she were swallowed by such a massive spell, she would likely end up a vegetable. Her brain's magic area would be burned out, leaving her unable to live a normal life.
I knew how hard she had been working to avoid that fate. I understood her desire to test her strength here, but...
"In the qualifiers, I cannot permit the use of the Butterfly Effect."
"But..."
"You understand, don't you? If you overuse it, you will trigger an Overheat."
"That's..."
I turned my attention to Ariane as well.
"That goes for you too, Ariane."
"Me as well?"
"Yes. In the qualifiers, origin magic is prohibited. Even in the main tournament, I will only permit its use in limited, critical situations. This tournament will involve consecutive matches. Taking that into account, I hope you can understand my position."
The aftereffects of an Overheat were nothing to scoff at. In my case, I had simply been lucky. I could have easily died or been left incapacitated. There were many cases of young, talented sorcerers who activated origin magic as students only to be crushed by the weight of their own power.
With that background in mind, while I was determined to win, I put the safety of my teammates first.
"I understand," Amelia said.
"I understand as well," Ariane added.
"Thank you. Besides, being a sorcerer isn't just about wielding massive spells. Everything is built upon a foundation. For the qualifiers, we will focus on basic magic and movement. Let's thoroughly reinforce those two areas."
"Understood!" they shouted in unison.
With that, I continued the briefing.